Life, 1918-04-25 · page 17 of 40
Life — April 25, 1918 — page 17: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**The Main Cartoon:** Military officers compare their sons' promotions—one's son became a director, the other a corporal. The joke mocks competitive boasting about military advancement, suggesting even modest rank feels worthy of pride. **"Swords or Chains?"** This poem appears to reference post-WWI concerns, suggesting America's weapons of freedom could become instruments of oppression if misused. **"Bolshevik Rules for Establishing a Nation":** This is savage anti-communist satire, likely responding to the 1917 Russian Revolution and Bolshevik consolidation of power. It caricatures Bolshevik ideology through absurd "rules"—persecuting the wealthy, encouraging crime, removing educated officers, fraternizing with enemies, and abandoning citizens. The satire attacks communism as destructive chaos disguised as reform. **Final Exchange:** A soldier reports being treated well in Washington, joking they'd receive better treatment if identified as a "German spy"—reflecting post-WWI suspicion of foreigners and satirizing American attitudes toward enemy nationals. The page reflects 1920s American anticommunist anxiety and post-war social tensions.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“MY SON HAS JUST BEEN MADE A DIRECTOR IN HIS COM RECRUITS yANTRD Ny. “ WATE TO CROW OVER YOU, OLD MAN, BUT MINE’S JUST BEEN MADE A CORPORAL 1N 11S.” Swords or Chains ? ROM chains we beat the swords that made us free; The swords we bent to scythes and reaped our gains; in! or men shall see new to make us chains. Let seythes be sword: Their metal forged Bolshevik Rules for Establishing a Nation RRERUDIATE all national debts Persecute persons with fortunes greater than twenty- five hundred dollars. Imprison people who bathe oftener than once a month. Banish individuals who shave daily and wear clean linen. Encourage crime, drunkenness, murder, filth and disre- gard of law and order. Remove from the army all officers with education and ability. Place tramps and garment-stitchers at the head of the army and navy. Order the army to fraternize with the enemy and to trust implicitly foes who murdered millions of their countrymen and ruthlessly devastated thousands of square miles of their lands. Demobilize the army and sign a treaty of peace with a nation which cares no more for a treaty than for the honor of a woman or the life of a rat. Appear startled when the enemy scizes thousands of square miles of territory in spite of the peace tre: Quit and run away after begging all citizens to fight the enemy's machine guns and bayonets with bare fists. OW did they treat you in Washington?” “Splendidly. They couldn't have trea better if 1 had been a German spy.” ed me any comicbooks.com