Life, 1917-11-29 · page 19 of 40
Life — November 29, 1917 — page 19: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This cartoon satirizes Anglo-American wartime relations during World War I. "John Bull" (personification of Britain) proposes gifting "Sam" (Uncle Sam, representing America) a statue of Lord Nelson—Britain's legendary naval hero—as a pointed joke. The caption suggests Britain is subtly asserting its naval superiority and war experience to the relatively newer American combatant. The accompanying text discusses Allied unity and American political stability as advantages in the war effort. The cartoon's humor relies on the tension between allies: Britain offering America a reminder of British military glory reads as either patronizing or gently competitive—a jab at American newcomers to the conflict. The statue on a pedestal visually emphasizes this dynamic. The page also addresses coal rationing efforts, reflecting genuine WWI-era American home-front concerns about resource management.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
ze the ofa in the riting, e sent or the ‘unity Nl the gation rep- cil in n the ow to itative forces erman n, but ork at in the i ) spite going Russia They ut the come 1 per- rribly 1 peo- « ot get their hard / may Brit- it will -lords , and, prefer t pos- e gen- red of en up d are y man come great ; dead West- for its XUM ‘LIP &* THE GIFT John Bull; I THINK I'LL GET BARNARD TO MAKE ONE OF LORD NELSON AND GIVE IT TO SAM AND SEE HOW -HE LIKES IT bearing on German purposes in that region. The Allies, especially the Brit- ish, are doing well on the all-important Western front. And they are doing well with the submarines. The “dark- est days of the war” are hard on the feelings, but the things that make them dark, bad as they are, are all matters of secondary concern. The Allies are going to win the war. The question is, by what co-ordination of effort and authority they can win it soonest. In one respect our country at this time is the luckiest of all the Allies. It has a government, good, barring accidents, for three years and a quar- ter, which cannot be changed except by revolution, Consequently there is hard- ly any politics in the management of our war concerns, France is full of 875 politics, and has just had a_ political upset. England is full of politics, and Lloyd George is liable to be driven out any day. But here it will be two years before anyone need give serious thought to clecting a President, and meanwhile, the whole of Mr. Wilson's mind can be given to the war, and men of all parties can pull shoulder to shoulder to win it. Politically, we are for the time being, and for some time in prospect, the most united nation in the scrap. ‘i is requested that we all go light ‘on coal, The demands on American coal have been heavy beyond all precedent, and we are fifty million tons short of what we ought to have. We are requested to save that fifty million tons by curbing our appetites for heat. If we can save a hundred million tons, it will be appreciated. Families that can cook by oil or gas are requested to do so. An immense amount of coal can be saved if people will be content with sixty-five to sixty-eight degrees of heat in their rooms or houses, instead of running the temperature up to sev- enty-four, and then opening windows so as to breathe. Furnace men who overheat houses will be seen by Mr. Garfield, the save- the-coal man. Also their employers. It is hoped an example will be made very early in the winter of one or two dozen selected apartment house engi- neers who have kept their pipes hot in mild weather. This matter of coal is serious. We should regret to have to speak of it again, but it may be nec Tell your furnace man that if he overheats you you'll fire him, Then if he leaves you too cool, wear an over- coat. If the apartment house man over- heats you as much as usual complain to the police. ~ comicbooks.com