Life, 1917-12-13 · page 13 of 40
Life — December 13, 1917 — page 13: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains two separate satirical pieces about World War I. **"Hopeless Heroes"** (top) discusses German soldiers suffering at the front lines, expressing sympathy for young German men dying in the war while acknowledging Germany's military necessities. **"The Newcomer"** (cartoon) depicts a military scene where new German recruits appear to arrive at a barracks or command post. The cartoon likely satirizes the influx of inexperienced soldiers being sent to the front. **"Little Tests of a Traitor"** (bottom) mocks a German politician who claims patriotism but selectively remembers historical events—celebrating certain independence movements (Luther, La Follette) while conveniently forgetting German aggression against Belgium, Serbia, Poland, and Armenia. The satire suggests his patriotic rhetoric is hypocritical, and he blames England for starting the war despite Germany's own actions. The overall theme criticizes German war justifications.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
(LPP Ee 1001 Hopeless Heroes INIONS vary as to when the war will end, and, when it does end, just what the terms of peace will be; but nobody has thus far ventured to pre- diet whether the Kaiser's six sons will hol¢ out s over. 1914 these intrepid heroes have braved the gors attendant upon looting castles and carry- the spoils, arid, under the guide of a miraculous the chances of being ruthlessly ence, have sacrificed by the stern necessity of the German military system. Almost every other family in Germany has lost one or more of its sons; but the crown prince and his brothers. far behind the lines, still struggle on, intact, tempting Fate day after d. It is getting to he pretty tough on these young men, to fatten and to live so lor id so persistently. A few simple wounds would help. But even that consolation seems to be denied to them, THE NEWCOMER Little Tests of a Traitor [HE és loud in his protestations of patriotism, always add- ing, “ But He is not moved by all the Prussian atrocities, but is }-ofoundly stirred by fear for the rights of the poor, con- scientious objector. lf the government seems likely to take another forward p in the war, he gets up a new peace society. He reads the war bulletins from Berlin first and stops there. He celebrates with zest the quadricentennial of Luther, but forgets the anniversary of the Lusitania. He is proud of the heroic independence of La Follette. He remembers the wro of Ireland, the Boers, the Congo, and America in 1773, but he forgets Belgium, Poland, Serbia and Armenia. And he reminds us that “history shows” that England began the war, comichoo! Ks.com