Judge — February 15, 1919 — page 4: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "How to Save Coal" - A WWI-Era Fuel Criticism Cartoon This political cartoon by Cass H. Forbes satirizes coal conservation efforts during what appears to be World War I rationing. The central figure represents a bureaucrat or government official ("Passing Fuel Administration") literally surrounded by hot air and bombast—depicted as inflated clouds of smoke. The lower figures (appearing to be critics or fuel inspectors) sarcastically suggest the bureaucrats should "show 'em" their efficiency through action rather than empty rhetoric. The joke critiques government fuel administrators as hypocrites: they demand coal-saving from citizens while producing nothing but "hot air"—wasteful talk and ineffective policies. The title's irony suggests the real way to save coal is to eliminate the verbose, unproductive bureaucracy itself.