Life, 1918-01-03 · page 32 of 40
Life — January 3, 1918 — page 32: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes Tsar Nicholas II (here called "President Romanoff"), mocking the idea that he could democratically lead Siberia. The main cartoon depicts Romanoff as absurdly lenient—sentencing two men to Petrograd (considered harsher than Siberian exile) as "maximum penalty" for making faces at police. The joke: his clemency is so extreme and misjudged that political operatives immediately recognize him as easily manipulated. The satire targets the Russian Revolution's chaos. References to "Bolsheviki," "Maximalists," and violent street conflict reflect the civil war period. By portraying Romanoff as ineffectually merciful amid anarchic bloodshed, Life suggests autocratic Russia cannot function as a democracy. Secondary cartoons mock war profiteering and Jewish stereotypes (the pawnbroker refusing war bonds). The page reflects American anxiety about Russian instability during WWI and the emerging Soviet threat.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
32 “iL FP E : The Clemency of President Romanoff A movement is on foot to make Siberia a republic and run Nicholas Romanoff for President. News report. ICHOLAS ROMANOFF, first President of Siheri: listened intently to the charges made by the attorney- general against Feodor Gravyoff and Ivan Cheezoviteh: When the attorney-general had finished, President Ro- manoft’s thin, sensitive face trembled like a rabbit’s with suppressed emotion. Stilling his excited features by seizing his silky mus- tache in a firm grasp, he rose to his feet and fixed the two culprits with a cold Romanoff stare. “Ivan Cheezovitch and Feodor Gravyoff,” said he in tense, passionate tones. “you have been rightly accused of the unforgivable sin of making faces at a police officer! Have you anything to say for yourself before I sentence you?” Realizing that their sin had found them out, the two prisoners remained silent “Very well, then,” continued President Romanoff sadly, “T must inflict the maximum penalty which the law allows. I sentence both of you to six months exile in darkest Petrograd!" At the severity of the sentence, a murmur of pity arose from the occupants of the audience chamber. The two prisoners, horrified at the President's words, threw them- selves on their knees before their stern-faced judge. President!” begged Feodor Gravyoft hoarsely. “ Send us to the Salt Mines, send us to the Rein- decr Pastures, send us to drive sledges in the awful cold of Verkhoyan: We will have a chance in those places! But what chance have we in Petrograd, between the Bol- sheviki and the Maximalists and all the other bloodthirsty wild men who are tearing the city to shreds between them? Spare us, Mr. President!” President Romanoff sighed deeply. “ Wel aid he re- luctantly, 2 this is your first offense, and since I wish to establish a reputation for clemency, I will revoke the first sentence, and re-sentence you to five years hard labor at laying steel rails on the Trans-Siberian Railway in the Great Khingan Mountains. How does that. suit you?” “Thanks, thanks, Mr, President!” gasped the two crim nals, throwing themselves on the floor and knocking their heads violently on the carpet in token of extreme gratitude. Five minutes later the entire city was in an uproar over the President's leniency; and experienced political bosses were openly predicting that he would be the casiest mark that Siberia had ever known, The Spur “wit do you want with me?” asked the pale litle soloist as an officer from the draft board tapped him on the shoulder. “We need you at the front. I have just been talking with a captain, and he says his regiment lacks a certain some- thing to put them into a fighting moud,” Year: No, MK. ANY OF T Pawnbrokers Nvix, DOSE IKON CROSSES, PREPARED - WORLD, I'M NOT GOING TO BE FOOLED BY HIS EARLY PEACE PROPAGANDA AFTER THE WAR 1 VILL NOT LENT NO MORE MONEY ON MEIN SHUP 155 FULL OF DEK TAM TINGS