Life — October 4, 1917 — page 23: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This appears to be a satirical cartoon critiquing **army contractors during wartime**. The image shows three figures (likely government officials or contractors) standing safely on shore, observing soldiers in combat across water—suggested by the military equipment visible and the dramatic landscape. The satire targets the disconnect between **profiteers and those fighting**: contractors grow wealthy from military contracts while young soldiers ("our boys at the front") face actual danger and death. The figures' formal dress and comfortable distance emphasize how removed decision-makers were from combat's human cost. This likely dates from **WWI or WWII**, when public concern about war profiteering was high. The cartoon's point: contractors benefit financially from war while soldiers bear the sacrifice.