Life — April 25, 1918 — page 8: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Life Magazine Page 668: "Life's Horoscopes" & WWI Satire This page contains astrological character sketches of public figures (Billy Sunday, W.R. Hearst, Claude Kitchin) and WWI-era satirical content. The main cartoon depicts soldiers departing for war, with the caption showing an officer scolding soldiers for using "bad language," while they protest they were "savin' to hell wit' the Kaiser!" The satire mocks military discipline: officers enforce linguistic propriety while soldiers are literally going to fight and die in combat—absurd priorities given the brutal reality of war. The "Don'ts for Departing Soldiers" section offers cynical advice to enlisted men about fraternization, homesickness, and combat experiences, reflecting American anxieties about young men entering WWI. The final exchange—"Why should he wear a uniform when he isn't fighting?" / "But he is. He is fighting red tape in Washington"—satirizes military bureaucracy as the real enemy soldiers face.