Life — August 13, 1914 — page 12: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis of LIFE Magazine Page 256 This page contains an illustration by Mary Jane McMillan and an article about cats during wartime. The sketch shows fashionably dressed women in what appears to be a social gathering, seated in comfortable chairs. The article's satire concerns British and German attitudes toward cats. It notes that England has approximately eight million cats, while Germany has fewer. The piece argues sarcastically that Germany's culling of "non-working" animals reflects utilitarian philosophy, suggesting Britain should consider eliminating cats as an "emergency" measure—ironically proposing that destroying cats could replace destructive suffragette activities like bombing buildings and slashing paintings. This appears to be WWI-era commentary mocking both German pragmatism and feminist militancy through the unlikely subject of domestic cats.