Life, 1914-12-24 · page 7 of 40
Life — December 24, 1914 — page 7: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes Belgium's situation during World War I's opening months. The illustrated header shows figures holding up letters spelling "LIFE," depicting Belgium's struggle. The poem narrates how Belgian Queen Kate Barlass (a historical reference to a Scottish queen) defended her nation against German invasion, "thrust her arm through empty staples 'gainst the murderous band." Belgium "kissed her sword-cross, took her stand" with honor despite military disadvantage. The photograph below shows what appears to be a dramatic domestic scene, captioned with General Lafayette apologizing that he cannot keep up with "future history"—a joke about how rapidly the war is unfolding and how many nations Belgium must host. The satire celebrates Belgium's courageous resistance against overwhelming German military power in 1914.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Belgium—1914 T° save her king, Kate Barlass thrust her arm Through empty staples ‘gainst the murderous band: So Belgium kissed her sword-cross, took her stand; Her heart unruffled by war's dread alarm, Firm in her right and in her honor calm, To fend the War Lord's mailéd hand Stretched out to wreck the lovely land And make a nightmare of its light and charm. The whole world longs to bind thy wounds, Sad Nation, struggling o'er the endless road; The sour smoke curling from thy fair abode; Thy children’s laughter turned to piteous sounds. Thy dark hour passes! 'Tis thy glorious fate To prove the grandeur of the smallest State. General Lafayette: sorry 10 co, BUT IF I KEEP UP WITH FUTURE HISTORY I MUST SLEEP AT EIGHT MORE HOUSES THIS WEEK comicbooks.com