Judge — February 18, 1928 — page 16: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This political cartoon satirizes a **$3,000,000,000 Naval Program** (likely from the early 20th century, when such amounts were massive). A central figure—appearing to be a politician or official—holds the naval program proposal while surrounded by smaller figures representing various interests: **soldiers, workers, and children**. The figures clutch signs reading "Give us," suggesting competing demands for government spending. The satire critiques how a massive military budget request must satisfy multiple constituencies "by request"—various political and social groups lobbying for resources. The towering pile of money in the background emphasizes the scale of expenditure. The cartoon suggests the naval program is being promoted less on strategic merit than on political pressure from multiple directions seeking federal funds.