Judge — June 15, 1918 — page 4: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This W.K. Starrett cartoon from *Judge* magazine depicts a large German military officer (identifiable by the spiked Prussian helmet) extending his hand in friendship to a small child, while a dead body lies in the background. The caption reads: "Could You Grasp This Hand? — And Say: 'Let Us Be Friends!'" This is anti-German propaganda, likely from World War I, satirizing German peace overtures as hypocritical. The cartoon contrasts Germany's call for friendship with the violence it has committed (represented by the corpse and the militaristic figure). The small child represents innocence or perhaps neutral nations, emphasizing the moral contradiction of asking for friendship after causing destruction. The image critiques German military aggression masked by diplomatic gestures.