Life, 1918-07-04 · page 10 of 36
Life — July 4, 1918 — page 10: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes German militarism and wartime propaganda during World War I. The top cartoons labeled "Historic Boys" depict "Parson Billy" (likely Billy Sunday, the American evangelist) and "Johnny D." (possibly a reference to a German leader), both surrounded by symbols of war profiteering and destruction—booze, contracts, and oil reserves. The main article, "Creative Stupidity," criticizes German ideology, accusing it of promoting destructive ideas under the guise of innovation. It references "Bethmann-Hollweg" (German Chancellor Theobald von Bethmann Hollweg) and attacks German military command structures. The bottom sketch shows soldiers, with a caption about a patient unable to contribute to war work due to injury—likely critiquing both German militarism and home-front sacrifice. The overall message condemns German war leadership and ideology as fundamentally corrupt.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
6 OSTER UNCALA re HiSTORIC BOYS PARSON BILLY Creative Stupidity HERE is an entirely new form of genius in the world. Let us call it Creative Stupidit This new form of human activity was born, of course, in Germany, where all things perverse and stupid are born. It believes that the British Empire can be dismembered. Tt believes that the idea of universal democracy can he de- stroyed by seventy-mile guns. It believes that the planet can be conquered by technique and laboratory experiments. Creative Stupidity also believes that an amendment to something can destroy a healthy instinct. It proposes to reform humanity by scraps of paper—going von Bethmann- Hollweg one better in asininity Tt runs to “ “movie” scenarios and “best sellers.” Under the malign influence of this new activity barbers are set to making aeroplanes and poets are assigned to the and of gun factories. Stupidity we have always with us, but when it takes the ive genius, then we have something more menacing than the plague. Not Idle ATIENT (with a broken arm): It's awful not to be able to do any war work while I’m laid up! “That's all right, my dear Mrs. Willney—your bones are knitting.” JOUNNY bv. Corporal: 1 TELA YE, SERGEANT, IT AIN'T FAIR TO MA’ US BOX WITH A FELLOW THAT CAN'T KEEP KAISER! HIS MIND OFF THE