Judge, 1918-08-17 · page 2 of 32
Judge — August 17, 1918 — page 2: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "Save the Thoughtless Dollars" This is a World War I-era public service advertisement (not a cartoon) promoting War Savings Stamps. The piece sarcastically critiques American consumer frivolity by presenting three examples of thoughtless spending: buying an unnecessary hat, ordering extra taxi rides, and overeating. The advertisement then pivots to shame this behavior, contrasting Americans' casual wastefulness with soldiers dying in the trenches ("Picardy mud"). It argues Americans aren't selfish—merely thoughtless—and urges them to redirect discretionary spending into war bonds at 4½% interest instead. The National War Savings Committee sponsored this message through Judge magazine, using guilt and patriotic duty to encourage financial sacrifice for the war effort. The tone is deliberately harsh to motivate behavioral change.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Save the Thoughtless ollars “T got the sweetest hat today. And, my dear, of course, I didn't really need it, but—" * *# «© « “What if it is only a few blocks? Here, taxi!” os © «© «6 “I know I'd feel a lot better if I ate less, but I simply must have a big order of—” * * * * Over there in the Picardy mud, pock-marked with | significant craters and “‘plum-caked” with unspeakable things that once were men, our soldiers can’t hear all ! that some of us are saying. Good that they can’t, isn’t | it? It wouldn’t make it any easier to stand firm against | those blood-crazed, grey hordes who come on wave after wave because they believe their Kaiser is “God's anointed shepherd of the German people.” * * * * ez: It isn’t that we Americans are a selfish people. We have simply been tnoughtless. Money is needed to win this war—let’s give it. So far, we have been asked only to lend—to lend at a good round 4% interest. Turn your THOUGHTLESS dollars into ] War Savings Stamps. | NATIONAL WAR SAVINGS COMMITTEE, WASHINGTON Contributed through Division of Advertising United States Cos't, Comm. on Public information ISSUED BY THE This space contributed for the Winning cf th: War by UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT. The Publishers of Judge, New York comicbooks.com