Judge, 1919-02-01 · page 11 of 32
Judge — February 1, 1919 — page 11: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "On An Equal Footing" - Historical Context This is a post-WWI short story illustration about two American Army officers, Captain Harry Long and Captain John Harvey, reuniting on a transport ship returning veterans from France. The satire concerns romantic rivalry: both men are equally in love with the same woman (Miss Nichols) and equally ranked as captains—hence "equal footing." The joke hinges on their gentlemanly agreement that wartime emotions have scrambled their feelings, making it unclear who truly loves her most. The caption's reference to one man losing his "freedom" suggests marriage anxiety—a common post-war theme in Judge magazine. The story explores how military rank equality and wartime chaos have rendered their romantic competition essentially unresolvable, subverting traditional romantic competition tropes through bureaucratic and emotional equivalence.
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Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Fao “Harvey Inpicatep THe Famous Figure ano Remarken: ‘I Suppose One or Us Witt Soon Lose His Freepom.’” On An Equal Footing By J. A. Watprox Illustration by Lawrence Fettows HE Leviathan was on her way from one of the new ports of France created by American mili- tary enterprise, laden with veterans home- ward bound. The confusion incident to hurried em- barkation had been resolved to order, and soldiers were walking the decks with something like long-accustomed military carriage, from habit, when two men encoun- tered and greeted cach other with mutual surprise. They were Captain Harry Long and Captain John Harvey. “Something extraordinary in this,” said Long, still shaking Harvey’s hand. “T should say so!” replied Harvey. “And lucky.” “Luck for one of us—when we get back to Little Old New York.” They looked at each other curiously. “We are fated as an unbeatable pair in one respect. Starting as pri- vates, we have reached the same official altitude, so our chances are not to be changed by rank. And I’m glad we're going back together. Even terms all around.” “Yet we are such good friends that neither would have taken advantage of the other if one had got back first.” “No. We've always been fair rivals. And _ this SAll’s fair in love and war’ stuff is obsolete, Harry. The Huns have killed it from the war angle. Now I want to ask you a fair question—fair as between us. ‘ire away!” “As a soldier and a man I am willing to answer it for myself. Are you as profoundly in love with Miss Nichols as you were when we came over?” Captain Long looked at Captain Harvey keenly, and his glance was as keenly returned. “Really, that is a poser. How about yourself? You say you are ready to answer!” “War upsets many ide It shak It scrambles his emotions. Am I right?” “As right as a gun.” They looked at each other again sharply. Perhaps a man up so. comicbooks.com