Judge, 1918-10-19 · page 31 of 32
Judge — October 19, 1918 — page 31: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a wartime propaganda advertisement urging Americans to purchase Fourth Liberty Loan bonds. Published just weeks before WWI's armistice, it references **Belgium's actual suffering**: German forces had brutalized Belgium early in the war, including civilian massacres and destruction—atrocities widely publicized in Allied propaganda. The imagery depicts a German soldier (likely an "Uhlan"—German cavalry) overlooking devastated Belgian civilians and ruins. The text appeals to Americans' moral outrage and patriotic duty, using inflammatory language ("mad Wolf of Wilhelmstrasse," referring to Kaiser Wilhelm II's government). The core pitch: only American money ("gold") can defeat Germany's militarism. Citizens are shamed into contributing beyond what the government requests, framed as firing bullets at the enemy through financial sacrifice. This reflects typical WWI American propaganda: demonizing Germany, invoking atrocity stories, and conflating financial contribution with moral righteousness and military victory.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
pt ver best girl, em first Tite ttle mp, n of i be end nts October 19, 1918 Remember Belgium 7OU can floor an Uhlan with lead, but only gold can floor Berlin—the gold of a world aroused. You can hit the Hun the hardest by putting every possible dollar into this critical bond issue. Make it your business to see that every man and woman of vour acquaintance understands the importance of buying bonds to the limit. The enemy has eloped a world-distribution on brutalitics that bear the Berlin shipping-tag. How long shall this obscene commerce in brutality continue ? Your answer is required, now. Your money talks. You can crack Kultur onthe head by volun- teering moe of your money than the Government asks for. You can overwhelm the mad Wolf of Wilhelimstrasse with the crushing wrath of billions. How long do you want to receive news of U-boat sinkings, casualty lists, and maimed sons, marked LO. B. Berlin? Gentlemen, your answer ? Put your answer in writing—on acheck. Now is the time to hurl Wilhelm II against the fence, and make him face a firing squad of 100,000,000 Americans—with dollars for bullets. Buy U. S. Gov’t Bonds Fourth Liberty Loan Contributed through Division of Advertising This space contributed for ine Winning of the War by the Publishers of JUDGE United States Govt. Comm. oa Public Information comicbooks.com