Life — October 12, 1916 — page 11: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis This Life magazine page contains two separate pieces of satirical fiction: **"The Only Man Who Didn't Get It"** depicts a German military ball during WWI. The illustration shows industrial machinery and a young officer. The story mocks a German soldier as "the only man in the German army who wasn't awarded the Iron Cross"—satirizing Germany's apparently indiscriminate awarding of military honors. The joke suggests that even mediocre officers received decorations, making the honor meaningless. The text references capturing regiments and destroying bridges, typical WWI combat claims. **"Method"** is a brief humorous dialogue about a hostess's cake, unrelated to the first piece. The magazine's wartime content reflects American attitudes toward German military culture and bureaucracy during or shortly after World War I.