Life, 1914-10-01 · page 18 of 48
Life — October 1, 1914 — page 18: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains two satirical cartoons and a mock declaration of peace, likely from World War I era. **The Cartoons:** The top two panels show giraffes inviting an elephant into water at "high tide," then departing when the tide recedes—a visual metaphor for temporary alliance or cooperation that dissolves when circumstances change. **"A Declaration of Peace":** The text is a cynical template rulers could fill in, mocking post-war peace declarations. It satirizes how nations declare peace not from genuine desire but from exhaustion: soldiers killed, honor "satisfied," armies infamous for atrocities, populations starving, finances ruined. The final line—"until we can get enough money and men together for the next war"—is the punchline, exposing that peace is merely an intermission before inevitable future conflict. **The Satire:** Life magazine critiques how political leaders frame warfare's devastation as honorable while actually being driven by practical depletion, not principle. The message: don't believe rhetoric about peace—it's temporary funding and rest before resuming war.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Giraffe: HEY THERE, COME IN! IT's HIGH TIDE! AND THEN THE TIDE WENT OUT A Declaration of Peace (Blank Form to be Filled Out by Rulers When They Get Tired of War.) I ——___—_——_—,, Ruler of Heaven, and, by the grace of God, King and Emperor of ——————, do hereby announce that I am provoked to declare Peace. And for the following reasons: I find that my biggest, bravest and best soldiers have all been killed: That I have satisfied my honor and that of my people by winning several battles which have resulted in no profit: That my army has gained a reputation for horrors and atrocities which will last them for many years to come: That a large part of my people are starving, and that I myself need a good, long rest: That our financial and commercial systems have been sufficiently punished. Now, therefore, by right of my kingly crown, I hereby declare myself and what is left of my kingdom at peace with all the world—until we can get enough money and men together for the next war. T. L. M. comichooks.qom