Judge — December 14, 1918 — page 1: what you’re looking at

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# "Kidding Them" - Judge, December 14, 1918 This cartoon depicts nurses showing a photograph to a wounded soldier in a hospital bed, with a package labeled "Comfort Kit for Infantry" nearby. The title "Kidding Them" suggests the nurses are attempting to boost the soldier's morale through cheerful interaction and care items. Published just after World War I's armistice (November 1918), this satirizes hospital morale efforts during the war's conclusion. The "comfort kits" reference real Red Cross and charitable packages sent to soldiers. The satire appears to mock the somewhat artificial cheerfulness nurses and caregivers employed to comfort wounded men—the "kidding" or gentle deception of pretending all was well when soldiers faced serious injuries and trauma.