Judge, 1918-07-13 · page 5 of 36
Judge — July 13, 1918 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This satirical article by Perriton Maxwell uses facial hair as an extended metaphor for masculinity and patriotism during World War I. The piece humorously argues that beards are essential to a man's physical and moral status—a jab at contemporary masculinity standards during wartime. The captions identify two figures: Secretary Daniels (Navy Secretary Josephus Daniels) and Secretary Baker (War Secretary Newton Baker), both depicted with prominent facial hair. The satire suggests these officials could "appreciate the indisputable power of whiskers," implying that strong leadership requires masculine presentation. The underlying joke appears to be commentary on how wartime leadership and national strength were culturally linked to traditional masculine imagery—beards symbolizing virility and authority needed to conduct the war effort.
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Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
JUL 11 1918 Cclessioug Volum $5 06 ; Veer J U D G E Number 1017 Photo by Brown Bros Tr Secretary Daniets CAN BE MADE TO APPRECIATE THE IN- 10 Cents a Copy “THE NATION'S PERPETUAL SMILEAGE BOOK” 2 eee New York, Juty 13, 1918 Whiskers and the War By Perriron Maxwe.u Illustrated with Hairyscopic Vi ILITARY experts, historians, wiseacres, highbrows and georgecreelers have com- pletely overlooked the most potent and far-reaching factor in the present great struggle to make the world a decent place to fight in. Man-power, mon munitions—these, of course, are the prime requisites. But what of whisker: “Whisker: you echo. Yes, I said whis- kers. “But—” Wait a minute! “How can a man justify a beard by a single scraggly strand of it?” you ask, lecringly. “Listen, children, and you shall h ” To begin with, you spoke of a beard. Now a beard needs no apology for its existence You don’t have to offer an excuse for your eyebrows and what are eyebrows but twin miniature beards curving cutely on the superstruc- ture of your frontispiece? If you were a truly logical person you would gillette them off every morning. Like the thatch on your cranial dome and’ the double marquise over your optics, a beard on your chin is a simple matter of decoration—and decency. A beard not only shows which way the wind blows (if you must have your little joke) but it openly establishes one’s mental and moral status. Only a very brave man dares wear a hirsute lambrequin in these nude nowa- days. Just as Nature abhors a vacuum, so does she detest a human mug thrust nakedly upon an unoffend- ing world; else why do you have to scrape your coun- tenance and thwart the natural impulse of the hair crop to sprout where it was originally planted? Why, if you’re agin hair, don’t you begin with your razor at the nape of the neck and plow sweepingly up over your coco (not forgetting the inside of your ears) mowing your way steadfastly over eyebrows, jowls, chin and so on down to the nadir of your Adam’s apple Hair is hair, whether it’s a flattened mop on your occiput or a brace of mutton chops guarding your aural portals. PN AY. CENT Whiskers (and by whiskers I mean every type and Iy Secretary BAxen can Be from Nature PERSUADED TO EMULATE BUStTARLE FOWEAL. OF style of fimbriated, setaccous, pilous facial veiling) THE FACIAL PACADE OF wittsk ERS —— are as essentially a part of every strong man’s physical Kixe So.osox—— comicbooks.com or +f \ games Ne “