Life, 1917-03-08 · page 21 of 42
Life — March 8, 1917 — page 21: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This 1917 *Life* cartoon satirizes President Woodrow Wilson's reluctant movement toward World War I entry. The image depicts Wilson as a hanged pirate—suggesting he's cornered and facing execution. The accompanying text is deeply ironic, ostensibly defending Wilson while actually condemning his leadership. The author argues Wilson represents American democracy itself, yet criticizes his passive approach to the war: he won't lead but only responds to pressure from Congress, pacifists, and especially Germany. The "pirate" metaphor appears sarcastic—Wilson isn't a bold leader but a trapped figure. Key references include Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels and German Ambassador Bernstorff (recently expelled), whose departure signaled Germany's shift from pushing for peace to pushing for American military involvement. The satire's point: Wilson lacks genuine conviction and merely reacts to events rather than directing them, making him an inadequate steward of democracy during this critical moment.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THE PIRATE AT THE END OF HIS ROPE part of our doom to be forced in, Mr. Wilson will recognize it and will go in with us; but that is the most we can expect from him. But let us not repine. War is an abomination. Why should not a man hate it? Armies and navies are a nuisance and a waste. What harm to Mr. Wilson if he has fizzled as an army-raiser, and will be best remem- bered in naval history as the patron of Daniels and Dr. Grayson? He is a good exponent of democracy. He is a better President than we are entitled to have; abler, better trained, and probably a better character. We brag about democracy; offer it to Eu- rope as a panacea; almost get into the 397 war to demonstrate its great merit and save it. Mr. Wilson stands for our democracy. The people have twice chosen him, different people each time. Two sets of us, first and last, have ap- proved him. His title has no flaw. He is now seasoned in office. If democ- racy is a crime, he is our punishment. Ii it is a virtue, he is our reward, Make your choices, gentlemen; call him which you like, but either way, he is our fate. He is to-day the valid ex- pression of American democracy. It has laid an egg and he is that egg, and in sympathy with most of the hen. If she cackles somewhat discordantly at having reproduced him, it is no fault of his. She is a discordant creature, and never cackles with a united voice over any egg, no matter how fresh. macy, it may. give us more cour and more patience to go on with him. We have got to go on with him anyhow. We cannot act except through him. He will not lead us any more than he can help, but he invites us all to push him. He wants Congress to push him into putting guns on the mefchant ships, he wants us all to push him into military preparation, We are not used to the job of push- ing Presidents, but the pacifists are teaching us how to do it. And the Germans, who are teaching and push- ing all the world, are going to help us. While Bernstorff stayed here, they pushed us for peace. Now that Bern- storff has gone home they are pushing us for war. Let us daily be thankful that Bern- storff has gone home. But it was President Wilson who sent him. It came to look right to him that Bern- storff should go, and Bernstorff went. It will come to look right to him to put guns on our merchant ships, and get our navy on its job, and he will produce the gun: d the navy. When we cannot mak‘ necessary action look right to him, Germany will do it. It is her destiny to doctor the world, and she has the needful medicines and is constrained to administer them even to us. So let us not worry about Mr. Wil- son. It is doubtful if we can handle him, or he can handle us, but destiny can handle both of us, and will. comicbooks.com