Life, 1917-12-27 · page 8 of 41
Life — December 27, 1917 — page 8: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This cartoon depicts an adult (likely representing an Allied nation or authority figure) coercing a small child (representing a defeated or occupied nation, possibly Germany or an occupied territory) toward an unwanted destination. The child resists ("But I don't want to go"), while the adult insists ("You must"). The caption "A Happy New Year?" uses bitter irony—the forced march promises no happiness. This reflects post-WWI tensions: the forced compliance of defeated nations with peace treaty terms, reparations, and occupation conditions that were deeply unpopular. The image critiques the coercive nature of post-war settlements, suggesting that imposed solutions lacking genuine consent breed resentment rather than lasting peace.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
+ 1076 Relief Work in France (Miss Gertrude Stein sends us this contribution from Paris, and it has been set in the style of type in which Miss Stein's verses usually appear-—Epitor oF Lire.) THE ADVANCE IN COMING TO A VILLAGE WE ASK THEM CAN THEY COME TO SEE US. WE MEAN NEAR ENOUGH TO TALK; AND THEN WE ASK THEM HOW DO WE GO THERE. THIS IS NOT FANCIFUL. MONDAY AND TUESDAY IN THE MEANTIME WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT WISHES? WISH THE SAME. AGREED FOR A MINOR. AND FOR MY NIECE. WHAT ARE YOU DOING FOR MY NIECE? BABY CLOTHES. AND MILK. MALTED MILK. THE RIGHT SPIRIT THE RIGHT SPIRIT. THERE ARE DIFFICULTIES, AND THEY MUST BE MET IN THE RIGHT SPIRIT. THIS IS AN ILLUSTRATION OF THE DIFFICULTIES WE HAVE IN MANY WAYS. THEN WE GO ON. VICTORY QUEEN VICTORIA AND QUEEN VICTORIA. THEY MADE YOU JUMP. AND I SAID THE MOTHER; YOU SAID THE MOTHER. I DID NOT REMEMBER THE MOTHER WAS IN PARIS, BUT YOU DID, AGAIN WHEN THE CAMELLIAS ARE FINISHED THE ROSES BEGIN. ARE THE FRENCH PEOPLE HEALTHY? I THINK THEM HEALTHY. AND AS TO THEIR INSTITUTIONS? AS TO THEIR INSTITUTIONS, THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT THEY LIKE A PARK. AND FORESTS? IN THE SENSE IN WHICH YOU MEAN, YES. THAT IS A QUESTION I MEANT TO ASK. IT IS ANSWERED. Gertrude Stein. Locating the Germans T is astonishing what new arts one has to practice in war- times. There is, for example, the art of segregation. Where shall the process of segregating the Germans stop? It is obviously .mpossible to intern all of them. Probably the majority of those in this country are good citizens. But the rub comes to determine this. To keep them away from ammunition factories and other critical spots is well. But the air carries secrets, and there are numerous ways to convey information. The whole problem is complicated by the fact that it is not always possible to tell whether a man is a German or not. Some of those who have done us the most harm have not been Germans. But, at any rate, as ‘fast as they are located they ought to be compelled to wear a license tag with a number, just as motor cars do, These numbers ought to be visible at thirty feet, and lighted up at night. If you are the unhappy possessor of a cold-storage plant and an ammunition factory, and you see a German with his Gar - — s (Pr= I Dont Want To Gd ~NEW ew A HAPPY NEW YEAR? tag on approaching it, you can take his number. The next morning, in case the plant is destroyed, you can apply to the State Department for the German's address. Later on in the day you can call on him personally and expostulate with him for his rude conduct. Then the laugh will be on him, for no German likes to be expostulated with. He regards it as bad form. On the Front Walk “BETTER wait a little, mister. Mother is having a fight with father.” “But I'm in a hurry." “Well, in five minutes more there won't be much china left. I guess it will be safe for you to enter the house then.” She: PARDON ME A MOMENT WHILE I OPEN THIS PACKAGE FROM WALTER