Life, 1917-12-13 · page 28 of 40
Life — December 13, 1917 — page 28: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**Main Cartoon ("Arousing the Germans"):** This WWI-era satire depicts German officers losing morale after hearing American soldiers—specifically described as "Texas cowboys"—trash-talk them from the trenches. The joke relies on the stereotype of rough, intimidating American cowboys. When standard military punishment fails to restore discipline, a captain devises psychological warfare: spreading rumors that captured Germans will be sent to America and forced to drink "near-beer" (low-alcohol beer, considered inferior). This threat supposedly terrifies the troops more than combat itself—the joke being that Germans fear American civilian life more than death in battle. **"Who Knows?" Column:** A satirical list predicting which ethnic and fraternal organizations will next demand War Department recognition after the YMCA. Notably included is "The La Follette Brotherhood"—a jab at Senator Robert La Follette, a prominent anti-war progressive—described as "opposed to everything American and in favor of everything German," suggesting pro-German sentiment among war opponents. **Minor Jokes:** References to new war vocabulary ("camouflage," "barrage") and a food-conservation pun about overweight people losing weight.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
ONLY A POP-GUN, BUT IT STINGS Arousing the Germans HE ober-licutenant entered the dug-out briskly, removed several quarts of mud from his care- worn face and satuted the captain punctilious! # “Herr Hauptmann,” he barked, “I beg leave to report that the shock troops in the front-line trenches are losing their fiercen Ever since they installed the listening post and heard the things that the detachment of Xas cowboys in the American trenches said about them, they have had no appetite and little en- thusiast “Have you tried kicking them?” asked the captain glun} “Yes, Herr Hauptmann,” replied the oly “T have given them three rounds of kicks apiece, ished up by beating cach one of them with a section ¢ machine: It didn’t make them a hit rier,” urmured the i © pondered deeply, oblivious to the roar of bursting shells and the shrill hissing of the fumunenwerfer Suddenly he leaped to his feet excitedly, “1 have it!” he cried. “Go back to your men, lieutenant, and tell them that the Americans are sending all their prisoners to the United States and forcing them to drink near-beer With a ery of triumph, the ober-lieutenant saluted and dashed from the dug-out. Three minutes later a hoarse shout of rage from the nches told the captain that his ruse had been t like demons to front-line successful, and that the men would avoid such a horrible fate. Mathematical W are getting new words all the time, as camouflage. barrage, Bolsheviki. And our figures of speech nowa- days are pretty much all war figures. Who Knows? IRST the War Department only for Y. M,C. A. b the cantonments. Then the ki olumbus were admitted. Nex the Masons, Elks and others, W Howing clamor soon for recog k-Hand Society ainese Chop Suey Associat » Kosher Butchers’ Union. Colored Gentlemen's Interst Fraternity The Sons of Sweden. When Greek Meets Greek (f ers and bootblacks) The Gas-House Gang (New City). Whoops-My-Dear (chorus-boys' cl The La Follette Brotherhood (op to everything American anc favor of everything German) “SAY, HOC, THAT OPERATION YOU PER- FORMED ON ME MEAD TO CURE ME CRIMI- NAL TENDENCIES MADE ME WORSE, AN’ I JUST THOUVENT I'p SER YER AvOUT GET- TIN’ A LITTLE DAMAGES.” For Fat People Only Ss‘ IGESTION for food conservation slogan: Be Patri- otic—Weigh Less! comichooks.