Life, 1914-11-26 · page 14 of 44
Life — November 26, 1914 — page 14: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes brutal German military directives allegedly issued by General von Vandal during WWI invasion planning. The "General Orders from Berlin" mock absurd regulations: occupants must "look happy" upon German arrival, hands of residents aged 15-30 will be "cut off," and towns must stock cellars with wine for German officers while promising to spare those who comply. The cartoons below ridicule these orders. The top sketch shows German soldiers interrogating townspeople about their "cunning little darling" — likely mocking German soldiers' supposed interest in looting. The bottom cartoon depicts German officers in a carriage, with the caption sarcastically contrasting their supposed luxury with common soldiers' hardship. The satire presents German military occupation as simultaneously brutal and absurdly mercenary.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“1 IRESE * General Orders From Berlin. L THEN the German army arrives within ten miles of a town which is about to be invaded, all the inhabitants’ thereof shall look happy. This regulation is necessary to preserve the morale of the German army and must be strictly observed or the town, including suburbs, will be burned, the hands of all the residents between fifteen and thirty cut off, and a tax levied. 2. The foregoing rule must not be interpreted as allowing inhabitants of invaded towns to look too happy. Excessive happiness will naturally lead to the suspicion that the honorable Germans are being laughed at. Anyone caught laughing, no matter how ludicrous the German officer may be, will be shot, all female inhabitants of the town ‘carefully searched, the hands of the unwilling cut off, and a tax levied upon all towns within one hundred miles, 3. As soon as a town has reason to hope that it is going to be invaded by the German army, all the citizens thereof shall immediately proceed to stock their cellars with wines of the choicest vintage and their larders with the best provisions. They shall then forward lists of these wines and provisions to the General Board of Strategy at Berlin, Those citizens who make the best selection of dainties will be spared, All others will be killed or maimed and a tax will be levied. 4. All towns are warned that it is dangerous to under- take any measures of self-defense. If a town allows itself to be burned in the right spirit, the honor of the Germans is pledged that no harm will come to it, and, in proof of the good intentions of the German officers and men, all town officials will be shot and a tax levied. (Signed) Generar Von Vanpat. “SAY, MICKEY, YOU'D THINK THEY WOULD LOOK HAPPY” “AW, DEY'R JEST SUFFERIN’ WIT’ LUXURY” “OH, WHAT A CU NG LITTLE DARLING! WHAT BREED Is HE?” “WHAT BREED DO YE LIKE BEST, LADY?” One In Authority iN who handle dogs professionally say they have ,mever seen a case of hydrophobia, and naturally are not afraid of it, But Dr. Sigismund Schulz Goldwater knows better. He knows that every dog is going mad before sunset and the only safe course is to muzzle ‘em all, great and small, winter and summer. What's more, he has the authority and it’s going to be done. Where did Dr. Sigismund Schulz Goldwater get his ideas on dogs? Did they come with him from his native land? They certainly are not American. icbhooks.com