Life, 1918-06-20 · page 12 of 36
Life — June 20, 1918 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**Top left cartoon**: "If George Washington Had Been a Prussian" depicts a Prussian military officer aggressively ordering around common laborers, contrasting with American democratic values. The satire suggests Prussian militarism is the opposite of Washington's gentlemanly leadership. **Top right cartoon** (1917): Shows a French landowner confronting an American officer about boxes on his property. The caption references "twelve thousand airplanes we Americans promised to deliver on this spot in 1918"—satirizing America's unfulfilled military promises during WWI. **Main article**: "Writers Needed in the Army" argues military orders must be clearly written by educated personnel so soldiers understand instructions. The bottom cartoon "Called Out" illustrates confusion from poorly communicated orders. The page criticizes military communication failures during World War I.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
IF GEORGE WASHINGTON HAD BEEN A PRUSSIAN Writers Needed in the Army NE thing that our American army is reported to need is men who can write orders. We are told that that is not a new want, but one which a German military critic pointed out as a defect of our army of twenty years ago— the Spanish war army, perhaps. A.young officer now in France, being asked before his departure in what position he thought he could be most useful, replied, “I ought to be regimental adjutant. Our adjutant was a plumber in civil life, and while he is doubtless a good man and will be a good soldier, the orders he gets out are appalling. They are twice as long as they should be, and so ill expressed and arranged that no one can understand them.” Of course, writing orders so that they can be understood and will make easy reading is a literary job, and ought to go to persons practiced in putting their ideas into writing and saying the most in the fewest words. It is a help if they know exactly what they want. The first essential to clear statement is a clear head, but, besides that, it is necessary to know the words and how to arrange them so that they will tell the truth, “BUT, MONSIEUR, WHY ARE YOU UNLOADING ALL THOSE BOXES ON MY LAND?” “THESE ARE THE TWELVE THOUSAND AIRPLANES WE AMERICANS FROMISED TO DELIVER ON THIS SPOT IN 1918,” No Criterion ZR has rotten manners, hasn't he?” oN IX “On the contrary, 1 have always found him to be a perfect gentleman.” “Oh, well, you may be right. I have seen him only with his own family.” CALLED OUT comicbooksfeaimy