Life, 1915-09-02 · page 43 of 48
Life — September 2, 1915 — page 43: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This satirical piece presents six cynical "laws" justifying violence, each grounded in self-interest: kill the strong before they kill you; kill those who've tortured you; kill the stronger if they won't serve your purposes; protect those you've invested in; protect money you've earned; kill those whose existence displeases you. The final "Law of Peace" undercuts the entire logic: the speaker won't kill his brother because it requires too much effort and he might lose—purely practical cowardice masquerading as morality. The satire targets how nations rationalize warfare through pseudo-logical justifications that reduce to naked self-preservation and convenience. The darkly comic point: there is no principled difference between the "laws of war" and the "formula of peace"—both are selfish calculation. The accompanying cartoon (bottom right) of a tiger chasing a cat appears thematically related to predatory behavior.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
ga) Lal Ba) Sag UU GOEL A The Laws of War (4nd the Formula of Peace.) he ay NAB I Ss C 0 we FIRST LAW OF WAR: He Hi ey S f ‘strong, 1am weak; therefore | | ; W 411 kill him before he kills me. For ee ugar Walters know when he may desire BY H are appropriate wherever and cnsable to me and take = ka ii) yh whenever a dessert confection is ether with my life. wig ] desired. Law or War: He has Hh HSS These exquisite wafer sweets comport ned me Ht Pk | with any table appointments. They are a delightful adjunct to ice creams and whe may beverages. In ten-cent and twenty-five- orture me again; this idea i 1 cent tins. erable; therefore will I kill A fe ADORA Sugar Wafers — For every fest his evil return itself upon wll ¢ dessert purpose. A confection with J ¢ t a sweet-cream filling. sc Tum Law or War: Tam as Hi 6) ES NATIONAL BISCUIT nger than he, but he | th if = COMPANY is has that may be My strength will to no purpose, except it tri- it; he will retain his his I therefore will I kill for I cannot endure the tyranny of his wi Tur Foveti Law or War: IT am grant toa man whom I have placed me; much of myself I have en- his ds, he who is f; therefore I to suffer injury at ers, for that would be ng injury to myself, and I will Kil them who threaten him. or War: Tam serf ch I have beaten out of ses; but T have y to this I must protect would protect myseli, for Palate Points the Way ‘0 CULTURE, to class, to that distinction in Confections, which is lo! it is but a part of myself, and I huality superiority. From all will kill all who attempt to take this he choicest products required ; those part from me. tat Nature herself separates into the LHe. Sixtit: LAW 6p AVAR:, Dian rank of the best, are without master; neither designated man nor man-made roulette exercises PARK & TILFORD power over me. How, then, am I to kill my brother? Because he docs not hocolates and Bonbons please me. This displeasure upsets and fede } ‘ pains me, and I cannot live under the ea oa a tig dt beaattal Bax of cat burden of pain; therefore will I kill ead Peases the most particular palate, butt also him. fare behind the sweetest memories. If it were nec- Tue Law or Peace: I have no mo- Buy. you would walk a block of more to gel , ey ts ‘ ‘ok6 Tilford' s—the best. There are Six Thousand tive for the slaying of my brother. /t teady to serve you, also our own stores. | would put me to too much physical D exertion, would require too much of ARK & TILFORD my pleasant time, and it is quite pos- NEW YORK sible that he would slay me. Therefore inae? you, :ene: wwouxdaran, rHAilh will I not slay him. FOND OP CHASING CATS?” comicbooks.com