Life, 1918-05-02 · page 15 of 40
Life — May 2, 1918 — page 15: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains two cartoons satirizing military incompetence during wartime. **Top cartoon**: Shows "Distinguished Inventors, Bearing Their Latest War Devices, Wait Upon the Chief of Ordnance." Multiple figures tumble down grand steps carrying absurd contraptions, clearly mocking inventors pitching impractical weapons to military officials. The visual joke emphasizes their desperation and the ridiculousness of their proposals. **Bottom cartoon**: Titled "Of Course the Private's Had to Choose a Most Trying Time to Salute General Willie Jones," depicts soldiers awkwardly saluting a general in a doorway while civilians watch. The satire suggests military protocol creates awkward, impractical situations—soldiers must maintain formality even when circumstances are inconvenient. Both cartoons mock military bureaucracy and rigid procedures as obstacles to practical wartime effectiveness.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“LIFE: 715 DISTINGUISHED INVENTORS, REARING THEIR LATEST WAR DEVICES, WAIT UPON THE CHIEF OF ORDNANCE Of miracle to see that Cloud—I swear A moment past the sky was everywhere As clear as clear; there was no Cloud in sight. It looked to me, floating there calm ‘and white, Like a great mother hen, and I a chick. She seemed to call me, and I scurried quick Behind her wing. That spoiled the Boche’s game. And gave me time to turn and take good aim. I emptied my last dram. and saw him drop Ten thousand feet in flames— Ceveste (shuddering) : Stop! Pierre, stop! Maybe a girl is waiting for him too— Piere Twas either him or me— Crueste Thank God, not you! Pierre (pointing to the church): Come, let us burn the candle that you vowed. Cereste: Two candles! Pierwi Who's the other for? CrLESsTE : The Cloud! Oliver Herford. OF COURSE THE PRIVATES IAD TO CHOOSE A MOST TRYING TIME TO SALUTE GENERA. WILLIE JONES comicbooks.com