Life, 1915-12-30 · page 8 of 41
Life — December 30, 1915 — page 8: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This article predicts the war (WWI) might end in 1916, though Martin expresses skepticism. He discusses potential military developments—mentioning the "road from Constantinople to Berlin," Japanese intervention, and figures like Joffre, Hindenburg, and Kitchener as current military leaders. Martin suggests a "new man" might emerge in Europe—someone capable of bringing warring nations into "working harmony" and achieving peace rather than a temporary truce. He implies current military leaders cannot accomplish this; Europe needs an "arbitrator" with sufficient power and backing. The decorative border features classical allegorical imagery (hourglasses, cherubs) suggesting themes of time and fate—reinforcing the article's speculation about war's duration and resolution.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
sooo |RESOLUTIONS| Se By Edward S. Martin ONTINUE for another year to take in a reliable newspaper, for ( things are likely to happen in 1916 that you will want to know about. Perhaps the war will end in 1916. Even the best guessers are getting reluctant to guess when the war will end. It is a war that lisappoints all reasons, and does just what it will, and at its con- venience, without much regard to forecasts. It goes right along, spread- ing as it goes, quite regardless of the bankruptcy of nations that is said to be just ahead. Still, there is a gocd deal of leeway -in twelve months that Time has not yet nibbled at, so let us guess the war will be over in 1916. But how will it end? Just now there is a suggestion that the road is open from Con- stantinople to Berlin and that a continuous stream of assorted Ma- hommedans ‘is coming up to fight for Deutchland uber alles, and that there will be a huge importation of Japanese to stand them off, and soon. That is very pictorial, but might fade badly under discussion. We don’t know, in detail, how the war is coming out. We know the Allies cannot be conquered, but we do not know yet whether they can thrash the Teutons in 1916. It may take longer. In this impending year there may rise up a new man in Europe. * But that’s a gamble. Joffre seems to be an adequate democratic war- rior, unimpaired and admirable. One expects to see him hold his place . on the stage. He and Hindenburg are the most like fixtures; more even than Kitchener. Nevertheless, a new man may develop who will overshadow them all. Not a soldier at all, perhaps. The way war is being worked at present it is hard to see how or where a military superman can develop, though we may be shown. But a man who should bring the warring minds of Europe into some sort of working harmony and save the pieces of civilization, would stand out very tall, Europe, and in a way the whole world, seems to need an arbitrator. A great enough man, backed by a great enough force, and intervening at the right time, could make peace; not a stop-gap peace cither, but PAUL GOOLD comicbooks.com