Judge, 1918-05-11 · page 36 of 36
Judge — May 11, 1918 — page 36: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a **Red Cross fundraising advertisement** disguised as public-service messaging, sponsored by Prudential Insurance. The image depicts a large cross with light rays illuminating various scenes of humanitarian aid—people, vehicles, and relief work—meant to inspire donor confidence. The text claims that **every cent** of Red Cross War Fund donations goes directly to relief (not administration), and that banking interest has actually *increased* donated funds by creating an extra $1.02 per dollar contributed. This appears designed to counter skepticism about charitable overhead during World War I. By emphasizing financial efficiency and invoking religious imagery ("Humanity's Light"), Prudential positions itself as trustworthy alongside the Red Cross, implying that choosing Prudential insurance similarly demonstrates reliability and moral commitment. The advertisement essentially leverages patriotic wartime sentiment to market insurance products.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
i Do you realize that every cent of every dollar received for the Red Cross War Fund is spent for War Relief? Membership fees pay the general administration expenses of the Red Cross. The interest which accrues from the banking of funds actually has made available for War Relief one dollar and two cents for every dollar contributed. A Prudential Policy is an Ally that never breaks faith The Prudential Insurance Company of: America Incorporated under the laws of the State of New Jétsey FORREST F. DRYDEN, President HOME OFFICE, NEWARK, N. J. ‘ ff