Judge, 1918-12-21 · page 10 of 32
Judge — December 21, 1918 — page 10: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This WWI-era cartoon depicts soldiers in a trench discussing their exhaustion and filthy conditions. One soldier complains he hasn't changed clothes in a week and feels "as dirty as the Bolsheviki we're chasing"—a reference to Russian communist forces, used here as a crude insult suggesting extreme dirtiness. Another soldier jokes that their comrade Bill's legs resemble an old "Seth Thomas" clock (a real American clock brand), claiming they'll "run for eight days without rewinding"—a dark humor joke suggesting Bill's legs are mechanical or will keep going despite fatigue. The satire mocks both soldier exhaustion during the war and uses anti-communist rhetoric casually as wartime slang.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“Gee, I’m a-gettin’ stale. I ain’t had my duds off since Saturday week! I feel as dirty as the Bolsheviki we’re chasing.” “Humph. Reminds me of our old Seth Thomas back home.” “Wot does?” “Bill’s legs here. He claims they”ll run for eight days without vewinding.”