Judge — February 8, 1919 — page 8: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "The Whirligig of Time" This political cartoon by E.W. Kemble satirizes President Wilson's handling of multiple crises. The central figure (Wilson) is depicted overwhelmed by competing demands: socialism and Bolshevism (top left), a mother and son (top right), domestic problems including mail delivery and business issues (bottom right labeled "The Flag is Up!"), and labor unrest (bottom left, labeled "Some Problem"). The title suggests time's cyclical nature—Wilson faces a dizzying array of simultaneous problems he cannot fully resolve. The "whirligig" metaphor conveys chaotic spinning. The cartoonist critiques Wilson's administration as unable to manage post-WWI America's social upheaval, economic disruption, and ideological tensions simultaneously. The satirical framing suggests these crises spin endlessly without clear solutions.