Judge, 1918-11-02 · page 9 of 32
Judge — November 2, 1918 — page 9: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Political Context and Satire This story satirizes military bureaucracy during World War I. Captain Fullforce oversees a typing pool at a stateside military office (Camp William Jennings Bryan, Porto Rico) where soldiers are supposedly processing important war documents. The humor turns on discovering that the men are actually using government typewriters and time to write personal love letters instead. The opening dialogue joke—"Only six inches more, boys, and the Allies'll be in Berlin!"—suggests soldiers anticipating war's end through official channels, but the reality is their indifference to actual military work. The satire targets: lazy military personnel neglecting duties, the gap between military efficiency and actual practice, and the contrast between the captain's pride in his men's "diligence" and their actual activities. It's a gentle critique of wartime administrative waste and soldier morale problems.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
by Wate be Manis “Gosu! Oxty Six Ixcurs More, Boys, ax’ tHe Atiies’LL Be in Berwin!” Captain Fullforce Enters By Herwert Stanton HERE was a slight pause in the clatter of type- | writers, as Captain Fullforce entered his office Recording Branch, Third-Finger Print Section, Identification Division, Headquarters, Camp William Jennings Bryan, Porto Rico. As soon as the door had closed behind the officer, the hustle and bustle of Remingwoods and Undertons n anew. Captain Fullforce smiled broad wardly, of course, for he must preserve dignity and present a stern front. It was late on November day and there was much satisfaction in the thought that his men were diligently at their tasks, tapping out the infinitesimal nothings that, when turned into proper military channels, ma the wheels of war revolve with true American precision. The captain turned his eyes across the room everywhere men were bending over their machines! F This sincere diligence indicated many things: the worth of his helpers, their devotion, —in- and, above all, his success as a leader of men! As he stood there, exhilarated, an inspiration sug- gested that he observe just what his men were turning out from their noisy machin Important matters were on foot, and he would like his signature on the various papers before the day drew to a close. The captain approached the first man and bent to read the half-filled page of official stationery. On his usually stern face was the smile of eager expectancy. He drew back, surprised. “Dear Mamie,” was what he read. With the smile fading like a poorly dyed cotton shirt, the captain turned to the second man, his ser- geant-stenographer. This time the officer was startled by what he saw: “Dear Kiddo—Before the main cheese gets back I want to tell you Captain Fullforce dashed from the room. ad and put on full-spe comicbooks.com