Life, 1917-01-11 · page 38 of 38
Life — January 11, 1917 — page 38: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains a biting satirical Q&A piece by Kenneth L. Roberts mocking German justifications for World War I atrocities. Published during America's neutrality period (the "New Laws of 1917" reference dates this), it exposes the logical absurdity and hypocrisy of German propaganda. The satire works by presenting German "answers" to serious charges—Belgian neutrality violations, forced labor, murdering nurse Edith Cavell, using poison gas—that deliberately *avoid* addressing the actual questions. Each response either deflects blame onto enemies (England, the U.S.), makes irrelevant claims (the Battle of Jutland), or punts responsibility ("wait until the war is over"). The final answer—"Our cause is just! God is with us!"—crystallizes the satire: Germany reduces all moral accountability to circular patriotic assertion. This reflects American frustration with German conduct and propaganda during the conflict, particularly resonating with readers sympathetic to Belgium's suffering and horrified by documented atrocities.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
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