Judge — August 3, 1918 — page 4: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "The Smoke of Battle" This WWI-era military illustration depicts a Signal Corps observer reporting enemy movements to an operator via telephone pipe. The caption explains the scene: the observer is "raisin' a smoke screen" while reporting that "enemy about to attack." The humor appears to play on the dual meaning of "smoke"—both the literal battlefield smoke screen (a military tactic to obscure troop movements) and the colloquial phrase "raising smoke" (creating commotion or disturbance). The cartoon illustrates practical wartime communications and equipment while making a light joke about the chaotic conditions soldiers faced. Drawn by Walter de Maris for *Judge* magazine, this reflects American public interest in WWI military operations and soldier life during the conflict.