Life, 1914-12-17 · page 15 of 40
Life — December 17, 1914 — page 15: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This satirical piece mocks German militarism and Kaiser Wilhelm II through a Japanese schoolboy's naive-seeming letter. The cartoon illustrates military toy soldiers and weapons alongside elderly men in helmets—likely representing Germany's mobilization of aging reserves for the war (the caption mentions "Fifth reserve corps composed of men between 60 and 75"). The satire works through the schoolboy's broken English and feigned innocence: he discusses offering General Nogi (a real Japanese military figure) a "Nobel Peace Prize" for having lost ambition, then sarcastically praises Kaiser Wilhelm for being "entirely glorious" while enabling mass death—"1,000,000 widows in one week by merely press of button." The joke targets German imperialism, militarism's glorification, and the absurdity of aging men being conscripted into warfare. The reference to Galileo and the Earth's motion appears to mock the Kaiser's supposedly unchangeable character. The piece dates to WWI-era Life magazine and uses the Japanese perspective as an outsider's critical lens on European militarism.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
ee ae Letters of a Japanese School-boy To Editor “Life Paper” who, like Hon, Emp of Germany, are anxious to obtain a place in the sunshine, EAREST SIR:— Nogi to me yestday with touching expression and require me loand him %$ from my cousin arrive poverty. “Where you do with all money?” I ask to know. “If feel so spendful, why you no go work your you and urn some?” “Togo, I must confess it,” this he say with shame in his eyebrows, “I seem to lost all ambition.” “Tf that is truthful,” I say so with smile full of cheers, “here are 1$ cash money which you please keep.” I handout. “Why you want me to keep it?” he require suspectfully. “As Noble Peace Prize.” This from me. “If all personalities should lose ambition there would be no more room for murder, townburn, atrocity, star- vation and other forms of Krupp. Emperors would stop bragging about acquaintance with God and pay some tension to humanity. Nogi, I am full of prides to be connexted with family what got no ambition. If I had 10$— which I insure you I have not got— 1 should also give you that to express love. You could make very nice king for some civilized country in Europe!” “Where is some civilized country in Europe?” my enlarged Cousin ask to hnow. “Tam disabled to reply,” I report off. “Yet who knows what might be accomplished by a king who do not want to accomplish anything? I am good notion to make you Emperor of Germany.” “Are not Hon. Kaiser Wm pretty nice Emp?” Nogi inquisitive. “Yes and perhaps not,” thusly I negotiate, “In date of former yore Hon. Gallileo report ‘the world do move’, but he receive kneck-chop too soon to tell which way it move—back- wards or forwards, If Hon. World Ambition Fifth reserve corps composed of men between 60 and 75 will start at once for Antwerp” move forwards (which are believed by superstitious astronomers) then Hon. Kaiser Wm are bad Emp. If it move backwards (which are continuously re- ported in news-prints) then Mr Ho- henzollern are very nice Emp, How- everly you think of him it must not be deny that he are entirely glorious. By putting on pretty helmet resembling Lohengrin he can stand fearlessly en- tranched in War Office, Berlin, and make 1,000,000 widows in one (1) week by merely press of button.” “Knock der Kaiser!” Nogi holla with expression of Irish neutrality. “Not necessilly,” I renig distinctu-