Judge, 1918-10-26 · page 31 of 32
Judge — October 26, 1918 — page 31: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a wartime propaganda advertisement, not a satirical cartoon. Published just weeks before WWI's end, it targets American civilian frivolity during the conflict. The piece contrasts trivial consumer spending ("sweetest hat," unnecessary taxi rides, excessive dining) with soldiers suffering in the "Picardy mud"—referencing the real Picardy region in France where brutal fighting occurred. The "grey hordes" and "Kaiser" reference German enemies. The satire is gentle: Americans aren't *selfish*, merely *thoughtless*—they simply don't realize their wasteful purchases undermine the war effort. The solution: convert discretionary spending into War Savings Stamps (4.5% interest bonds that funded the war). This represents the U.S. government's advertising campaign to encourage voluntary financial sacrifice and patriotic consciousness among civilians, framing thrift as a moral duty equal to soldiers' sacrifice.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
October 26, 1918 Save the Thoughtless ollars “1 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!” ith om “I know I'd feel a lot better if I ate less, but I simply tip must have a big order of—" * © «© @ >» Over there in the Picardy mud, pock-marked with it significant craters and “plum-caked” with unspeakable things that once were men, our soldiers can’t hear all in that some of us are saying. Good that they can’t, isn’t Irs 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.” * * * * 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 495 interest. Turn your THOUGHTLESS dollars into War Savings Stamps. NATIONAL WAR SAVINGS COMMITTEE, WASHINGTON ‘WAR SAVINGS STAMPS ISSUED BY THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT. Contributed through Division of Advertising United States Gou't, Comm. on Public Information, This space contributed for the Winning cf the War by BO LL ee ee The Publishers of Judge, New York comicbooks.com