Judge, 1918-08-31 · page 13 of 32
Judge — August 31, 1918 — page 13: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "A Successful Maneuver" Explanation This is a short story (not a political cartoon) from *Judge* magazine illustrated by Lawrence Fellows. The narrative satirizes romantic dynamics between young naval officers and women during what appears to be World War I. The satire targets Lieutenant Belling's self-deception: he believes he's orchestrating a romantic encounter with Miss Wareing in the shrubbery at a Shore Club, imagining his "initiative" is entirely his own. The story suggests he's actually being pursued and maneuvered by her—she's the one strategically creating opportunities. The broader social commentary critiques gender dynamics and evolving female independence during wartime. Miss Wareing's remark about women becoming "active" in war-related fields and questioning why they shouldn't be implies the story is examining how women were gaining agency and independence during WWI, challenging Victorian conventions that Lieutenant Belling represents. The joke: the confident young sailor believes he's the pursuer when he's actually being skillfully pursued.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
p in A Sustity Attractive Way He Becan to Makr Love.” A Successful Maneuver By J. ‘A. Wapron Illustrated by Lawrence Fettows AILORS—especially young sailors—although highly impressionable as to girls, are some- what difficult game. And what is a young naval man but a sailor? : And young sailors are great love-makers, although their disposition in tender affairs naturally for varied and cumulative experien: How could it be otherwise when, added to their youth, are the rare sentimental advantages that a variety of ports provide? It has all passed into proverb. Lieutenant Belling was impressionable, yet cautious, had a career before him, to say nothing of the pos- sibilities of ports. Thus he ruminated upon the charms of Miss Wareing, who was trying to catch him, though really he did not know her purpose. The ego of man insulates him from certain knowledge. He is a proud animal, and prone to imagine in amatory affairs that initiative is always his own. They had met half a dozen times, with increasing liking for each other. And now they had met again. ‘There had been a bazaar at the Shore Club, frequented by naval men, for a war benefit of some sort, and there they encountered. They danced, and happened to keep together much of the afternoon. Toward evening they sought something like isolation in the luxuriant shrub- bery. Lieutenant Belling thought he had devised it. And in a subtly attractive way he at once began to make love “You are to sail soon?” she asked. “T have leave still for two days,” he replied. “What a terrible thing the war is! Of course you and others immediately in it realize this.” “We are seeing something of it. Convoying troop- ships, you know. Rather interesting. We meet the subs.”” “Have you noted how active women are becoming in related fields? Convention seems now to be the last thing to think about. And why shouldn’t women do comicbooks.com