Life, 1917-11-29 · page 28 of 40
Life — November 29, 1917 — page 28: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains anti-German propaganda from World War I. The top cartoon mocks a supposed alliance between Prussia and the Ottoman Empire ("Kultur"), depicting both as equally savage and willing to commit atrocities—burning churches, bombing schools, assaulting women and children. The poem sarcastically suggests these nations are "kindred souls" united in barbarism. The middle section ridicules German art theft from Belgium, reporting that German agents systematically looted museums in Antwerp and Brussels to make Berlin a cultural center. The author darkly suggests Germans will face their own reckoning ("a descent from the cross") in Belgium. The bottom cartoon uses animal characters (rabbit, coon, pole-cat) in a dialogue about military rank, likely satirizing German military hierarchy or racial attitudes, though the specific reference is unclear today. Throughout, the magazine uses satire to portray Germans as thieves, vandals, and war criminals during WWI.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“ SHE JUST HAD TO DRAG HER HUSBAND TO CHURCH” A Successful Welding In peace time our peoples will be welded still more firmly dy the work of Kultur—The Kaiser to the Sultan of Turk ACE brooded o'er the earth: A Prussian met a Turk: “Let's weld ourselves,” the Prussian said, “By stepping out with fearless tread On Kultur’s noble work.” “Gladly!” the Turk replied. “How shall we make a start? By killing maids with two-cedged knives, Or fouling helpless workmen’s wives Or pulling babes apart?” The Prussian gaily smiled. “T do not care,” said he. “We might burn down a church or two, Or hunt for schools and bomb a few; It's all the same to m Thereat these kindred souls Engaged in Kultur’s work, And ceased so bloodied and unclean That there was naught to choose be tween The Prussian and the Turk. K.L.R. R. F his editorials with initials only It would be very easy to mistake them for Wilhelm Rex Hohenzollern. RST ought never to sign German Thieves and Belgian Art HE Evening Post, speaks of the very thorough clean-up of objects of art in Antwerp and Brussels by the Germans, and of the report that the museums in those cities have been emp- tied by the K agents the benefit of Berlin.” Berlin, it seems, is to he made a iser’s for world art centre, and tourists will have to go there to see Kubens’ “ Descent from the Cross.” The rescue of the German But there will be a descent from the cross. in Belgium presently that Rubens did not paint, and it will be worth seeing, but not enjoyable by Germans. Maybe! loot is a complicated problem IFE: just what you are going to give me for Christmas Huspaxp: But how do I know what you have decided upon? This year you must tell me Private Rabbit: Private Coon: SO MR, POLE-CAT IS THE RANKING OFFICER. YES, THE RANKEST, comicbookSéeug]