Judge, 1919-01-11 · page 15 of 32
Judge — January 11, 1919 — page 15: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**"Misunderstood"** is a brief joke playing on wartime Prohibition. Willis and Gillis discuss a production stoppage—Willis initially seems to reference an oil well's failure, but reveals he's talking about a *brewery*. The humor lies in the confusion: breweries were forced to shut down on December 1st (likely 1918, as Prohibition approached), mimicking an industrial crisis. The joke satirizes how brewery closures were treated with the gravity of an oil crisis. **"Abdication"** is a poem by Howard Dietz apparently referencing Kaiser Wilhelm II's abdication (1918, ending WWI). The dialect narrator compares himself to the Kaiser—both claim bravery but "abdicate" when facing actual danger: the speaker flees the dentist; the Kaiser fled power when challenged. The satire mocks cowardice dressed up as dignity, likely reflecting American skepticism of Germany's surrender. Both pieces reference recent 1918 events: Prohibition and the war's end.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Misunderstood Willis—Our company was getting 1000 barrels a day when suddenly on December 1st our production stopped. Gillis—That’s funny. I never heard of an oil-well acting like that before. Willis—Who’s talking about oil-wells? This was a brewery. Drawn by Ress Westoven Tue Pixcu or Peace How a sailor feels wh gets back into Abdication By Howarn Divtz (ds it m int by Bert W. H ain’t no hun, yo’ understan’, And yet, when trouble’s near me, Ah’s like this William Kaiser man Ah shouts so’s all can hear me. Ah’s brave as any man can be, But when a tig Just like this kaiser, don’t yo’ see, . . . Ah abdicates. Mah third bicuspit pained on And so Ah sought the dentis Mah razor fust was snatched And watched by his apprenti The doctor offered me a seat, A napkin and some gas to e But Ah says “Something cries ‘Retreat!’ . Ah abdicates!”” No, Ah ain’t got no coward blood— ot even one corpuscle. Ah shudders not a single shud. When challenged to a tussle; And yet, mah friends, Ah spurns the sight Of emphasized display of might, So when Ah’m asked to join a fight— Drawn by Axavs MacDowatt Ah abdicates. Tus Is Tue Lire! comicbooks.com