Life, 1916-05-25 · page 26 of 40
Life — May 25, 1916 — page 26: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
## "Milestones in the Path of Glory" This chronological list satirizes President Wilson's ineffectual response to German submarine warfare. It catalogs ship sinkings, American deaths, and Wilson's repeated diplomatic protests ("notes") without action—mocking his famous statement that he was "too proud to fight." The list's grim humor lies in the escalating casualties paired with Germany's empty apologies and continued attacks, showing diplomacy failing repeatedly. ## Political Cartoon The cartoon depicts a caricatured figure (likely representing General O'Ryan or militaristic thinking) as a crude stereotype struggling with "nuts" (representing military discipline/training). The caption sardonically suggests forcing soldiers into blind obedience through psychological breaking-down. ## Context The page critiques both German aggression and American unpreparedness/diplomatic weakness in 1915, before U.S. entry into WWI (1917). It also attacks the militarism advocated by figures like General O'Ryan, whose statements about training soldiers through fear and rigid discipline the magazine presents as Prussian authoritarianism incompatible with American values.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
99% Milestones in the Path of Glory Feb. 4th, 1915. Submarine war announced. “ joth, “ Wilson sends “ Strict Accountability” note. Mar. 28th,“ Falaba sunk. 1 American killed. Apr. 6th, “ Kaiser regrets military necessity of killing Americans. May ist, Gulflight attacked. 3 Americans killed. “ qth, Lusitania sunk. 114 Americans killed. President Wilson is too proud to fight. President sends note, “ will omit no word or act” to preserve rights, 17th, Secretary Bryan tells Austrian Ambassador “President doesn’t mean 28th, Germany replies and dodges. oth, President sends second Lusitania note. 8th, Germany replies, still dodging. oth, Orduna attacked without warning. 21st, Third Lusitania note. Further attacks, “deliberately unfriendly.” 2sth, American steamer Leelanaw sunk. . 18th, Bernstorff says Germany will end war on passenger hips. roth, Arabic sunk. 2 Americans killed. 1st, Germany promises to sink no more liners. ath, Hesperian sunk. oth, Germany apologizes for Arabic and offers indemnity, 7th, Ancona sunk. Americans killed. 3oth, Persia torpedoed. Americans killed. 7th, Bernstorff renews assurances that safety of non-combatants will be considered. 18th, Lansing sends note to Allies regarding the disarining of merchant vessels, and threat- ens to treat armed vessels as auxiliaries. . roth, Germany declares all armed merchantmen will be sunk without notice after March 1st. 1gth, Wilson and Cabinet repudiate Lansing’s last note. 16th, Lusitania agreement ready to sign, but held up. 24th, Sussex torpedoed. Americans killed. asth, Manchester, Engineer, Eagle Point and Berwyn Dale attacked. Americans killed. Wilson threatens to break relations with Germany unless this warfare is abandoned. Germany promises to be good -in insulting language. “Sth, “ Wilson writes another note. Total Allied ships destroyed to date, 338; neutral ships, 108 United States ships, seven. “roth, “ a3th, Apr. roth, May sth, Orator O'Ryan’s Misstep I a red-painted publication called War, issued by the “ Col- legiate Anti-militarism League,” Amos Pinchot, the rhetori- cal meteor, punches Major General John F. O’Ryan of the New York State militia We must get our men so that they are machines, and this can be done only as the result of a process of train. ing. s/s) We have to have our men trained sa that the influence of fear is overpowered by the peril of an uncompromising military system, often backed up by a pistol in the hands [dF E * “HOL’ STILL, CHILE, HOW D'YOH 'SPEC’ ME TO CRACK DESE HYAH NUTS FOR YOH EF YOH GWINE TO Bi of an officer. We must make the men unconsciously for- get their fear. All these matters of standing at, attention and “Sir, I have the honor to report,” are valufble to put him through the biological and social process by which he becomes a soldier The recruits have got to put their heads into the mili- tary noose. They have vot to be “ jacked-up "—they have got to be “bawled out They say that General O'Ryan is an unusually cor militia officer, Can it be that he ever talked such nonsense as that? It is hard to imagine anything better adapted quench enthusiasm for military preparation or more contrary in spirit to what its friends want. He seems to have absolis the Prussian idea.“ Men trained so that fear is overpowers! by the peril of an uncompromising military system, often backed up by a pistol in the hands of an officer.” Where outside of Germany is he going to get that? Not in France. not in England, and certainly not in the United States. We want a disciplined and obedient army, but we don't want men that are machines, We do not want legions of German comicbooks.com