Life, 1914-10-01 · page 12 of 48
Life — October 1, 1914 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains satirical commentary on World War I's devastation. **"The Trade-mark of War"** (right column) is a personified monologue where War itself boasts of its destructive power—transforming men into slaves, multiplying sorrows, destroying peace and humanity. It's dark irony: War speaks as an agent of pure destruction. **"Masterpieces"** discusses protecting artworks from war damage, referencing the Hague Conference's concern about preserving cultural treasures amid destruction. The cartoons illustrate war's absurdity: - **"The Deluge"** shows chaos and death - **"Listen to the Mocking-Bird"** depicts a caged bird amid destruction—nature muted - **"The Curse of Music"** contrasts indulgent feasting with war's horrors The dialogue ("Only about thirty or forty thousand killed yesterday") emphasizes casual acceptance of mass death.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The Trade-mark of War ERMIT me to make myself known. I am a soldier’s uniform. I have the power to transform a man from a man into a slave. I am the symbol of lust, the badge of bondage, the boon companion of bayonet and torch, and the trade-mark of war. Without me murder would be murder; butchery, © butchery; and diplomacy a dead letter. With me individuals perish, personality is a mockery, and cruelty a ‘synonym of justice. Women follow me in crowds. I fascinate them. They smile at me, blind to the knowledge that through me are their sorrows multiplied a thou- sand-fold. With me there can be no peace. Without me man is man, woman is THE DELUGE woman, and God is God. “ A NY news this morning?” THE first business of the next Hague Conference—if Jhoueadé Eled vestige Only ‘about thirty or ‘forty we assume that this body will ever meet again— should be to discover some means of protecting works of art from the ravages of war. x The recuperative power of human beings makes it com- SS SQ \WUEEDL Yee paratively easy in the course of time to replace everythifig SS Nn. 47 else that war has destroyed, The raw material for new ~ armies is being constantly born. New crops succeed the old. But when a masterpiece dies it is dead for evermore. The men in control of the army that destroyed it may in time be brought to repentance, but no repentance can touch with its wand the ashes of a cathedral and make it spring once more into life. Why not set apart one country where art treasures of the world can be segregated? Maybe Providence has been using American millionaires as blind instruments, in so far as they have been active in removing European art treasures to this country. Masterpieces THE CURSE OF MUSIC “LISTEN TO THE MOCKING-bIRD!” EVEN IN THOSE DAYS comichooks.gom