Life, 1915-09-02 · page 32 of 48
Life — September 2, 1915 — page 32: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This satirical article attacks pacifists as hypocrites who claim to oppose violence while actually *enjoying* conflict and argument. The cartoon illustrates this contradiction: a figure labeled with a peace symbol swings an axe at a tall pole (marked with ascending numbers, suggesting measurement or progress), while two well-dressed onlookers observe—presumably representing pacifist "talkers and inciters." The satire's point: pacifists aren't truly peaceful; they're argumentative agitators who love debate and conflict but hide behind anti-war rhetoric. They prefer extended "hostilities" through talking rather than actual physical combat, where they'd be overshadowed by "gun-fighters." The author mocks their sanctimonious interference in others' affairs while failing to embody genuine non-resistance. This reflects early 20th-century American skepticism toward pacifist movements and their moral authority.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“LVEE ° Pacifistic Pugnacity T= leading pacifists seem to be folks who like to fight and can’t wait for a war, Peace time is very much more extended than war time and affords them a much more protracted duration of hostilities. Besides, in war times the mouth- fighters are overshadowed by the gun-fighters, and, of course, the pacifists don’t like that, No group of people includes more exasperating characters than the non- resistants. Their office is to get the neighbors by the cars and then urge them not to come to blows. The world for their money i a world at loggerheads in which the talkers and inciters have the platform and nothing can be fought out. comicbooks.com