Life, 1885-06-04 · page 12 of 16
Life — June 4, 1885 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis This 1885 *Life* magazine page satirizes diplomatic relations through a fake correspondence between Washington and Bismarck about U.S. Minister Pendleton in Berlin. **The Satire:** Bismarck's reply mockingly claims that speaking German requires a large belly—treating the "paunch" as a linguistic organ necessary for proper articulation. He jokingly threatens "casus belli" (cause for war) if America keeps sending slim ministers. He also humorously specifies that ideal diplomats must sleep through Limburger cheese and German sausages without complaint. **The Point:** The joke ridicules both German stereotypes (association with beer bellies and heavy foods) and the absurdity of diplomatic selection criteria. The postscript, where Bismarck claims real power over young Kaiser Wilhelm II ("Billy"), reflects contemporary awareness of Bismarck's dominance in German politics during the 1880s. **Visual Elements:** The top cartoon depicts a thin Tomahawk Bluff character claiming to be "a regular wretch of a wough"—likely complementing the written satire about American thinness versus German robustness. The bottom illustration labeled "The Power of the Press" shows journalists or newspaper men, likely referencing media influence on diplomacy.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
LIFE: and give me a general idea of what you consider the proper sort of minister to represent this country at Berlin. Yours truly, G. C., Per T. F. B. BERLIN, May —, 1885. | To Hts ExceLency, G. C., Greeting : In reply to yours, I would state that Mr. Pendleton suits us fairly well, and is being Germanized at a satisfactory rate. In selecting a minister to send to us, you should pay especial attention to a man’s bodily shape, for his ability to learn the German language will depend largely upon his figure. It requires a beetling and spheroidal abdomen for one to speak German wlth absolute correctness. In fact, we regard the human paunch as one of the lingual organs, since we find it necessary to articulation. If a nation should repeatedly ignore this qualification in sending minis- ters to Berlin, we should feel warranted in considering it a casus beli’, We like a minister, also, who can sleep all night YOUNG person of Tomahawk Bluff | with a slab of post-tertiary Limburger cheese without losing Carried pistols to make him look tough. his temper whenever the cheese turns over; and who can When they asked “Do you chew?" wade through the fauna and flora of a German sausage He replied “ Yes, I do, without asking impertinent questions about its ancestry. | I'm a wegular wetch of a wough.” You may find these little matters of detail serviceable to you = in choosing future ministers to Germany. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENCE, Yours with bibulous regard, ‘ 04 BISMARCK, HE following correspondence explains itself : . . N. B.—You notice that I make no reference to the Em- WasuINGToN, D. C., April —, 1885. | Peror. The fact is, Billy wears the crown, but I boss the PRINCE BISMARCK: ranch and keep the keys of the wine-cellar. B. Please write and let me know how you like Mr. Pendleton, cna, ° oI italy, U8 UBITIONS wany URE THE POWER OF THE PRESS. comicbooks.com