Life, 1916-03-09 · page 29 of 44
Life — March 9, 1916 — page 29: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**The Cartoon (top):** A domestic servant ("Perkins") apologizes for lateness, explaining he had twins born in his family overnight. His employer responds that this is "inexcusable" because they didn't hire him to have twins. The joke satirizes rigid, callous upper-class employers who view servants as existing solely for work, with no personal lives or human needs. **The Articles (below):** Written during World War I, these pieces mock German militarism through ironic commentary. "The Inside Truth" sarcastically describes Prussian logic: Germany needs weaker nations to war upon to maintain cultural standards—if enemies are eliminated, Germany must deliberately leave some intact to keep fighting. "There Is, Indeed" (attributing views to Admiral Mahan) inverts German reasoning: just as "Christian Europe" means Europe *with* Christians in it, "military Europe" means Europe *infected with* militarism—a "leaven" producing barbarism, not civilization. The satire attacks Germany's claimed moral superiority while waging aggressive war. **Context:** This reflects American skepticism toward German justifications for WWI aggression.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
WH GE “} HOPE YOU WILL EXCUSE ME, MADAM, FOR BEING LATE, BUT WE HAD TWINS IN OUR FAMILY LAST NIGHT.” “ INEXCUSABLE, PERKINS! JUST REMEMBER THAT WE DIDN'T HIRE YOU TO HAVE TWINS.” The Inside Truth THE weaker nations, including England, France and Russia, not to mention Belgium, Norway, Denmark, Switzerland, etc, having all been eliminated, it became a grave question as to how Germany could maintain her moral grandeur with nobody to make war upon, “It is quite evident,” wrote an eminent Prussian mili- tary authority, “that unless we can keep on violating neutralities, sacking towns, crushing women and children, and destroying cathedrals and art treasures, our culture and Christian standards will both suffer, and how can any self-respecting nation live without these?” It was, therefore, almost immediately decided to leave a few nations and permit them to equip themselves with armaments, so that Germany, by warring upon them, might still keep her hand in and continue to preserve those ideals of civilization over which everybody was so much con- cerned. There Is, Indeed There is no such thing as “Christian Europe” or a Christian State. There is a Europe and there are States in which exist a large body of persons who hold the Christian faith. he presence of these through the centuries has been the Ieaven through which has been effected what is called Christian civilization. —Admiral Mahan, 1. There is no such thing as a “military Europe” or a military State. There is a Europe and there are States in which exist a large body of persons who hold the military faith, The presence of these through the cen- turies has been the leaven through which has been effected what is called military barbarism. 2. There is no such thing as a “ sentimental Europe” or a sentimental State. There is a Europe and there are States in which exist a large body of persons who hold the doctrine of love. The presence of these through the centuries has been the leaven through which has been effected what is called posterity, 3. There is—etc, etc, etc comicbooks.com