Life, 1918-03-14 · page 33 of 40
Life — March 14, 1918 — page 33: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This wartime satire (appearing during WWI, given references to the Kaiser and peace terms) mocks German linguistic and diplomatic complexity. The text contrasts American straightforwardness with German elaborateness: while Americans simply request that "wrongs shall be righted," Germans produce impossibly long compound words like "Schutzengrabenvernichtungsautomobile" (for "tank") and invented terms like "Gesundheitswiederherstellungsmittel..." The cartoon illustrates this through two figures in discussion, likely representing American and German negotiators or leaders. The satire's point: German overthinking and verbose language—exemplified by their peace-term proposals being "so elaborate and involved and complex and brain-fatiguing"—make them exhausting negotiating partners. The piece concludes that Germans would be better served by humor and simplicity. A secondary jab at the Kaiser follows, joking he entertains Turkey's Sultan by boasting of destroyed Christian churches—suggesting German brutality and moral bankruptcy.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
aa A German Failing IMPLE directness appears to mean nister’s put little in the young life of the > cere. German people. To describe the ma- chine to which our allies have given the name “tank,” the Germans use the cellar more expressive word “ Schutzen meter grabenvernichuangautomobile.” Wh Bismarck was hunting for a pure Ger- man substitute for the French-derived word apotheker — apothecary —he hit on “Gesundhcitswiederherstellungsmit- telzusammenmischungsverhalinisskun- diger,” and thought he had done a good job. Our-ideas on peace-terms are quite simple. We merely ask that wrongs shall be righted, and that the world shall be safeguarded further wrongs. The German ideas on peace-terms are more claborate. They are so elaborate and involved and com- plex and brain-fatiguing that they make the rest of the world extremely weary—as do so many of their words, How much better off everyone would be if the Germans only had a sense of humor! HEN the Kaiser wants to cheer up the Sultan of Turkey he tells him how many Christian churches he has } Through All Wars the National Standard destroyed. Tried and trusted by “our boys” in their heroic defense of our national honor, Colt Firearms are to-day as they have been for generations back, the great American weapon of dependability. The best is none too good for Uncle Sam in the field— nor for you in the home. Revolvers Automatic Pistols Automatic Machine Guns COLT’S PATENT FIREARMS MFG. CO. HARTFORD, CONN., U.S. A. Mlastrated Catalogue No. 6 mailed free on request 180 Fifth/venue 181 Broadway New York: 22SaMichifan Ave. hicage FOR _g MEN OF BRAINS Young Poultryman The teacher had recited “The Land- ing of the Pilgrims.” Then she requested | c each pupil to draw from his or her imag: | “MADE AT KEY WEST= ination a picture of Plymouth Rock. = Most of them went to work at once, A Itchin Rashes but one little fellow hesitated, and at length raised his hand. — Soothed “Well, Willie, what is it?” asked the e teacher. 4 ith Cuticura | “Please, ma‘am, do you want us to Soc'at al Orug Storee Sample for tworcent clamp itdensiste: foapt, Gitment 8, Taln | draw a hen or a rooster?” ; Frederick Stearns & Compan Dewoit, U.S.A. lampleeach free of “Coticura, Dept. B, Boston —American Boy comicbooks.com