Life, 1914-11-19 · page 17 of 44
Life — November 19, 1914 — page 17: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains anti-war satire from World War I era (pre-1918, given references to Belgium's invasion by Germany). **Top Cartoon:** A salesman shows a mirror to a customer, but the lady refuses to look, saying she can tell him what he looks like without it. The satire suggests willful blindness—people refusing to acknowledge uncomfortable truths about themselves or their society. **"A Battle Hymn":** A darkly ironic parody of the hymn "Onward, Christian Soldiers," replacing religious language with brutal warfare ("Slaught'ring," "Pillage, rape and murder"). It mocks the disconnect between Christian values and wartime atrocities. **"Welcome to Belgium":** Satirizes American attitudes toward Belgian refugees. The author sarcastically proposes importing Belgium's entire population and government as superior to American states, then suggests replacing inferior U.S. states (New Jersey, Delaware) with Belgium. It's commentary on American indifference to Belgian suffering and immigrant attitudes. **Bottom Cartoon:** A woman questions her boyfriend's faithfulness, finding him with another woman ("Liz"). A light domestic humor piece contrasting with the page's weightier content.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Salesman: The Lady: A Battle Hymn NWARD, Christian Soldiers, Slaught’ring as you go, Plant the Cross of Jesus O'er the fallen foe. Pillage, rape and murder, Let the bullets rain; If the foe turns other cheek, just Shoot him once again. Welcome to Belgium M SURES should be taken to im- port Belgium to this country. There were something over seven million people in Belgium before the Germans began to pound it out. We THERE’S A MIRROR BEHIND YOU, SIR NEVER MIND THF MIRROR, YOUNG MAN, OF TELLING HIM WHAT HE LOOKS LIKE could use those seven millions in this country to considerable advantage, as examples of thrift and courage. King Albert could come along also and be governor. He would raise the stand- ard of our governors considerably, and heaven knows we need it. We could easily and profitably dis- pense with some of our present States. Why not remove New Jersey and Delaware and substitute Belgium? Europe would be permanently re- lieved, and we should be the gainer. If the experiment worked as seems most likely, other small and oppressed ccuntries in Europe could join Bel- gium, leaving the Powers alone to fight among themselves. I'M PERFECTLY CAPABLE “HELLO, LIZ, 1 THOUGHT YOU SAID YOU HAD_ STEADY COMPANY?" comicbooks.com