Life, 1918-05-16 · page 34 of 40
Life — May 16, 1918 — page 34: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a **advertisement for McClure's magazine**, promoting a serialized story called "Licking the Huns!" set during World War I. The illustration depicts a confrontation in Berlin during anti-Kaiser riots. A German military officer (identifiable by his spiked Prussian helmet) interrogates a young woman, Frieda Bernhard, who is helping an imprisoned American captain. When forced to pledge loyalty to Kaiser Wilhelm, Frieda defies him, declaring instead: "Deutschland ueber Wilhelm!"—inverting the nationalist slogan "Deutschland ueber Alles" (Germany Above All) to mean "Germany Above Wilhelm." The ad frames this as patriotic resistance to German militarism. The text promises readers H.C. Witter's "thrilling, well-founded prophecy" of Allied victory. **Context**: Published during or shortly after WWI, this reflects American anti-German propaganda and popular appetite for stories depicting Germans questioning their own regime's authority—suggesting internal collapse of enemy morale.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“Down with the Kaiser!” There has been rioting in Berlin. It is thefirsttremor of the earthquakethat isto shake the Kaiser from his throne. The Iron Fist descends to crush the revolutionists. Frieda Bernhard, a young German girl who is befriending an American captain during his im- prisonment in Berlin, is suspected by the Kaiser's men. An under officer seeks her out. “You are a revolutionist?” he snarls. “Iam a German!” Frieda retorts. “You area traitor! Repeat afterme— ‘Wilhelm ueber Alles!’” Frieda pales. “I will not!” she cries. “We Germans have a new battle cry. It is—‘ Deutschland ueber Wilhelm!’” This is one of many dramatic episodes in the new McCuurz serial “ Licking the Huns!” In this narrative H. C. Wrrwer has written a thrilling, well- founded prophecy of how the war will end in victory for the Allies. The whole country is reading it — you must read it too! Ask the nearest news dealer for June McCuure’s. Read “Licking the Huns” in JUNE McCLURE’S ff thers out ey nell, and him your and fires star’ fron up i sym ofa wor Her comicbooksiegra