Life, 1917-01-11 · page 14 of 38
Life — January 11, 1917 — page 14: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains WWI-era political satire about Belgium. The top cartoon depicts Belgium as a figure being crushed, labeled with German demands. Below, another cartoon shows Belgium sinking into darkness, captioned "HE'LL GET IT." The text discusses Belgium's resistance to German invasion and occupation during World War I. A section titled "Belgian Atrocities (According to Berlin)" sarcastically lists seven items Germans claimed Belgians did—like "locking doors against the Germans" and "refusing to accept German Kultur"—mocking German propaganda. The page also addresses editorial responsibility, arguing newspaper editors should allow reader input rather than unilaterally controlling content based on advertiser interests. The satire defends Belgium's sovereignty and criticizes German invasion and propaganda while questioning editorial independence.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“LAF E ° do not pay as much, but the principle is the same. They pay. They ought to have a right to say what is going into the paper, just as the advertiser now does—in so many cases, . Belgium and Social Justice IX 1914 Belgium had a large and intelligent body of work- men with a lively sense of their importance in Belgian society. They insisted on reforms, improvements and social justice, and obtained them, but they overlooked the army and the guns. In fact, they opposed guns and armies because they thought the military was not related to social justice. So Belgium had an army of 40,000 while Switzer- land had one of 400,000. The German General Staff chose the Belgium route to Paris, and now the Belgian working classes have the social justice of Von Bissing und Gott. Switzerland, in her reforms and freedom, is as secure as ever. Social justice must carry field glasses and don khaki once a year. “Neutrals” Can't Stay Neutral VERY time the “neutrals” begin to feel a little bit neutral Prussia starts something that sweeps them all back in the Allied lines. The last episode to do this service is the deportation of Belgians. Belgian Atrocities (According to Berlin) RESISTING an entrance into Belgium. * 2, Locking doors against the Germans. 3. Attempting to protect their wives and children. 4. Eating their own food when the Germans were hungry. 5. Refusing to accept Kultur. 6. Showing national spirit. 7. Arguing over a mere “scrap of paper.” A Square Deal for Readers Also MAN in Philadelphia writes to the North American criticising the captious individual who “stops” his paper, The man who stops his paper is the man who writes and tells you that he has been taking it for twenty-six years, but can no longer stand the policy. There is really no reason, however, why a man should not stop his paper if he doesn’t agree with it, because un- der these circumstances it may not agree with him. What he should have is a paper that agrees with him about every- thing. The right editor of the future will therefore be a man who, before he gets his paper out, will send word to all of his subscribers, notifying them in advance, and ask- ing their approval. If anybody objects to anything, then the editor can of course leave it out or change it to suit. F es This practice at present is confined to the advertisers. suoen” TH S0 AFRAID. GEORGE WILL TRING: THIS SR Ter T00 But is it fair to confine it thus? Shouldn't the readers “FAR FROM IT, ‘MAN WANTS BUT LITTLE HERE BELOW, have the same privilege as the advertisers? Perhaps they NOR WANTS THAT LITTLE LONG.’” comicbooks.com