Life, 1917-09-13 · page 16 of 44
Life — September 13, 1917 — page 16: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains two distinct pieces of satirical content: **Top cartoon**: "The Willowbys' Ward" depicts a domestic scene where characters select a car, likely a humorous subplot from a serialized comic strip unrelated to the political content below. **Main article**: "Get a New Idea, General" directly attacks German General von Liebert's post-war ambitions. Von Liebert reportedly demanded Germany secure the Flanders coast, colonial territories, and naval bases before peace—with plans to pursue further conquests later. Life's satire is brutal: it argues Germany's militaristic expansionism caused WWI specifically to *prevent* such future wars. The magazine sarcastically suggests if Germany won't abandon these imperial ambitions voluntarily, the Allies will eliminate German leadership entirely ("walk the plank," "killed"). The bottom caption's ironic reference to censorship (contrasting American and New York restrictions) reinforces Life's position as a voice of free criticism against militarism. **Context**: This reflects American WWI-era rhetoric portraying German imperial aggression as the war's root cause.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THE WILLOWBYS' WARD. 15 WITH THE HELP OF ONE OF MOLLY'S FRIENDS, WHO IS IN THE BUSINESS, THE Get a New Idea, General ZRAL VON LIEBERT thinks the Germans can EN not sign a peace b fore they have “ the Flanders coast, a colonial empire and maritime bases.” It sounds modest, but he counts on getting the rest later. “Should we not get this much now says, “we must prepare to work for it after the war, in view of the next war.” Save yourself trouble, General. The main purpose of this war has come to be to avert that other war you speak of, even though the whole company of German masters who think as you do have to walk the plank. Wa xreat German industry, is awfully unpopular. Germany it has considerably lost favor. Think again, General! It is time you German masters had a new idea If you can’t invent one, take it from us, you are all going to be killed! It will have to be done, The only question is whether the Allies or the Germans will do it. PROFESSOR PICKS OUT A CAR “| WONDER WHY THEY DON'T MUZZLE US OVER HERE, AS. THEY DO IN NEW YORK?” comicbooksa |