Life, 1916-01-27 · page 13 of 44
Life — January 27, 1916 — page 13: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page from *Life* magazine features a satirical cartoon depicting **Germany as a grotesque ape or beast** wearing a spiked military helmet (Prussian "Pickelhaube"), labeled "GERMANY." The creature clutches a bloody club and stands over corpses. Tiny figures representing various nations appear on a platform above, with text reading "THE WRATH OF HELL!" The cartoon critiques **German military aggression during World War I**, portraying Germany as a savage, destructive force. The scattered bodies and weapons at the beast's feet symbolize war casualties and destruction caused by German invasion and warfare. The surrounding article discusses **Belgian neutrality and America's humanitarian response**, praising Belgium's relief efforts while criticizing those who complained about American aid distribution—reflecting wartime divisions over U.S. involvement.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Excused by the Belgians A to what a neighbor calls “the incessant complaint” that our goverment was false to duty in not protesting to Germany against the i vasion of Belgium, it is worth remark- ing that it comes from almost every people but the Belgians. None of the countries that got into the war was able t8 do any good to the Belgians in Belgium. Holland, a neutral, was a refuge for many of them. Uncle Sam, by keeping his hands free, was able to be truly serviceable in providing relief, and especially in organizing and main- taining a system of distributing relief which is still successfully working. This service seems to have been ap- preciated by the Belgians even beyond its deserts. They are now, apparently, about the only people in Europe who think kindly of the United States. It seems as if they preferred our supplies and distributory activities to a protest that would probably have shut us out from being practically useful to them. It may be that what the Belgians think of us and of our neglect to pro- test is of no consequence ; that the prin- ciple was what mattered, and not the Belgians. This is apparently the view of the incessant complainers, but it seems not to be the view of the Bel- gians. To them the Belgians seem im- portant, and to them it seems, appar- ently, a better work to have tried effectively, and still to try, to keep them alive’ than to have protested against their extinction. An Incipient List IX an age when efficiency is considered to be so highly desirable, it is singu- lar that no student has attempted to make out a list of the most uninter- esting subjects. To anyone gifted with mathematical fervor and a sense of social uplift, this problem ought not to be too uninteresting, although it would naturally deal with uninteresting things. Here is a list, humbly pre- sented, not expected to be final, and offered only as a fair basis: Death-bed movies. The Albany State Journal. Vice-President Marshall. Hicks Street, Brooklyn. The War Opinions of anybody. The Tariff. Tye HYMU OF ty yf bs & “TL ALWAYS DID LIKE MUSIC WITH MY MEALS!" The American Woman's Voice O° happy result of the woman suf- movement. been its the American woman's voice. This has never been what it ought to be, “ever soft and low, it is not yet what it ought to be, but it is better than it was. As women come to talk from the public platform more and more, they learn to use their voices. Each local orator—and every community, no matter how small, now has one or more—exerts an uncon- irage has effect upon scious effect upon her own circle. The result is that our women’s voices are undoubtedly getting less strident, less rasping. Many of them cannot now be heard above a steam clarion. Sight Unseen D OF FIRM: How long do you want to be away on your wedding trip? Hawkins (timidly) : —what would you say “How do I know? the bride.” Well, sir—er I haven't seen