Judge — October 5, 1918 — page 3: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Dirt Is Misplaced Matter" This October 1918 Judge cartoon by Angus MacDonald uses visual metaphor to criticize mismanagement during World War I's final months. A giant hand pours dirt from a shovel onto a globe, while tiny figures cling to the sphere's surface. The caption "Dirt Is Misplaced Matter" suggests that resources, manpower, or effort are being wasted or directed ineffectively. Given the timing—just weeks before the Armistice—the cartoon likely critiques how the war effort has squandered American lives and resources. The figures on the globe appear helpless against this downpour, emphasizing civilians' vulnerability to wasteful military or governmental decisions. The satire indicts those in power for carelessly dumping "dirt" (wasted effort, lives, money) onto the world.