Life — May 11, 1916 — page 24: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This Life magazine cartoon satirizes pro-war propaganda and militarism during World War I. The top panel shows armed soldiers marching with a "Wilson" flag, depicting military mobilization. The middle section displays propaganda posters including "U-39" (referencing German submarines) and "Sinking of the Lusitania" (the 1915 ship attack that killed civilians). The bottom panel shows civilians—including children—being marched along carrying these same propaganda posters, with one sign reading "Kill Women and Children First." The cartoon appears to criticize how war propaganda manipulates ordinary people and children into supporting military violence by sensationalizing atrocities. The juxtaposition suggests the cartoonist viewed such propaganda as dehumanizing and morally troubling, mocking how patriotic messaging could override humanitarian concerns.