Judge — October 14, 1922 — page 14: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This political cartoon satirizes American merchant shipping interests during a period of international trade tension. The central figure appears to be Uncle Sam or an American businessman, depicted as a merchant laden with cargo (visible wine bottles labeled "COSTINER" and other goods). He holds a trident marked "VOLSTEAD," referencing the Volstead Act that enforced Prohibition. The cartoon's title plays on "freedom of the seas"—a diplomatic principle protecting neutral shipping. The satire suggests that American merchants exploited Prohibition-era regulations to seize contraband goods from vessels, framing profit-driven seizures as patriotic enforcement. The figure's laden pockets and smug expression mock the hypocrisy of claiming legal authority while personally profiting from confiscated cargo.