Life — July 12, 1917 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Red Tape" - Life Magazine, July 12, 1917 This political cartoon satirizes governmental bureaucracy during World War I. A woman representing America or Liberty is entangled and nearly suffocated by red tape—literal coils of ribbon labeled "red tape," a period idiom for excessive bureaucratic procedures and paperwork. In the background, military ships are visible, suggesting the context of America's involvement in the war (the U.S. entered in April 1917). The cartoon critiques how administrative red tape and government inefficiency were hampering the war effort and national mobilization. The woman's determined pose with a sword suggests she wants to take action but is constrained by bureaucratic obstacles. The artist signed the work at bottom left.