Life, 1914-12-24 · page 26 of 40
Life — December 24, 1914 — page 26: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**"Germany and Her Two Spectres"** (main article): This piece criticizes Germany's paranoid foreign policy, particularly its fear of Russia. The author argues Germany projects its own aggressive, "highwayman" mentality onto other nations—expecting them to behave as ruthlessly as Germany would. Germany sees Russia and England as threats and, through its preemptive aggression, has paradoxically united these two powers against itself. The article suggests modern warfare has become too destructive for traditional imperial conquest. **"Heroic Statue"** (left cartoon): Satirizes American materialism by praising a hypothetical husband willing to reduce luxury spending and save money—framing financial restraint as heroic, thereby mocking contemporary consumer culture. **"Catching Up"** (dialogue): Uses racist dialect humor common to the era, depicting African American characters discussing German military capability with malapropisms ("dill" instead of "kill"), reflecting contemporary stereotyping. **"Foiled"** (right illustration): Shows a figure turning off a light, with caption suggesting children ("l'enfant terrible") have been caught in mischief.
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Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
a is ble oe HEROIC STATUE To the first American husband with enough courage to ay: “Devil take our position in society; I'm for fewer luxuries, less worry for father, and a little moncy saved each year,” Catching Up jy (ees war was being discussed from all angles at the regular Saturday night meeting of the Gin and Possum Colored Gentlemen's Social Club. “Yas, suh!” announced Pomp Dawson, with a wise look in his rolling eyes. “Dem Guhmans has got guns dat'll shoot, an’ shoot tuh kill at twenty-fi’ miles.” “Huh?” asked Brother Jackson, cocking his head, “Yas, suh!” went on Pomp. “Dey not on’y shoot twenty-fi’ miles, but dey dill at twenty-fi’ miles.” “Great Lawd!” gasped Jackson. “Nigger’d run all day an’ git killed "bout suppertime, wouldn’t he?” Germany and Her Two Spectres (e N’'T the Russian spectre be somehow laid for Ger- many? She believes, and has believed for generations, that in due time the Russian bear is coming out of the woods to eat her up. She seems to feel that any nation that can, will take what is hers the first chance, and that the only safety for her is to keep in training and go armed to the eyebrows, But the only nation she sees in Europe growing bigger than she is is Russia, and so she fears Russia. There is much in her history to justify such feel- ings, but in crediting all nations with the same designs on her that she has on them, she may be out of calculation. Germans in their business relations seem to be average honest, but Germany in her national or governmental policy is a highwayman. She tries to act out Mark Twain’s commandment: “Do unto others what you think they are going to do unto you, and do it first.” There is no safety or peace for anybody, man or nation, who shapes his course by that commandment. No doubt the reason why Germany is so afraid of Russia is that she expects from Russia the sort of rapacious assault that she would make on Russia if she were Russia and Russia Germany. She does not see that it is not in Russia to behave like Germany. She does not see that it is not in any other modern nation to behave like Germany. She does not understand any people but Germans. She sees two black spectres, Russia and England, and behold, in her hate and dread of them, instead of letting them stand one another off, she has managed to bring them both down on her at once. It is true that nations have not been much used to respect the eighth commandment, but it is also true that history is full of wars resulting, like this present one, from disregard of it. Germany cannot plead history in justifi- cation of her robber inclinations. Times have changed. War is incalculably more fatal and destructive than it ever was before. On any large scale it is played out, and that means that among the nations the profession of robber is becoming obsolete, and that any nation that FOILED GosH! THEY'VE TURNED DOWN THE ucut! L’enfant terrible: