Judge — November 1937 — page 4: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Women and Children First" This political cartoon depicts the destruction of an Asian (likely Chinese or Japanese) temple or pagoda, with bodies and casualties scattered in the foreground. Military aircraft appear overhead, suggesting aerial bombardment. The caption "Women and Children First" is darkly ironic—invoking the maritime disaster protocol—while the image shows indiscriminate civilian casualties including what appear to be women and children. The cartoon critiques military aggression against Asian populations, likely referencing early-20th-century warfare or imperial conflict. The artist (signed "Penright") uses bitter satire: the phrase typically associated with protecting civilians instead highlights their victimization. This appears designed to condemn either Japanese militarism, American/Western military intervention, or both, depending on *Judge* magazine's editorial stance at the time.