Life — October 15, 1914 — page 12: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page contains a letter from France dated September 4, 1914, written by Nina Larrey Duryea to Life's editor. It's not a cartoon but rather a firsthand account of WWI's humanitarian crisis. Duryea describes refugees fleeing Belgium and France—including elderly people, women, and children—experiencing starvation, homelessness, and violence. She contrasts their suffering with America's relative comfort, appealing to American charity. The letter documents specific atrocities: a child's hand cut off, German prisoners treated better than French civilians, and civilians deliberately harmed by German forces. Duryea urges Americans to contribute funds through Banque Boutin in Dinard, France. This represents Life magazine's role in documenting and mobilizing American response to European wartime suffering during the early months of World War I.