Life, 1918-08-15 · page 5 of 36
Life — August 15, 1918 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The top cartoon "Window-Wishing" depicts a woman and child gazing at a military display, with dialogue expressing desire for wartime luxuries (watches, shaving kits, uniforms) they cannot afford. The satire targets civilian materialism and war profiteering—people using the conflict as shopping wish-lists rather than understanding sacrifice. The lower section "Wounds and the Hohenzollern" compares German and American military families. It notes the Kaiser's six sons fighting despite four years of war, contrasting this with former President Roosevelt's sons serving in combat. The text argues the Hohenzollern family demonstrates commitment to their state, implying American aristocracy (like Roosevelts) should similarly sacrifice. The bottom illustration shows wounded soldiers, emphasizing the human cost of such family service.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Window-Wishing E stood before the brave display Of “ Needs for men in France” A little lad, whose eyes of gray Looked in with wistful glance. “I'd like to get that watch for Dad; 'Twould look just fine on him. I'd like that knife for Paul; that pad And pen for Uncle Jim. “That shaving-kit would pay the bet I made with Cousin Lee; But, most of all, I'd like to get That uniform for me!” Charlotte Becker. ‘Wounds and the Hohenzollem HE significant fact of the Kaiser and his six unscathed by battle ‘will not down, Their country has now been waging for four years a desperate “struggle for existence,” and yet if wound-chevrons were award- ed by the Imperial German Government the sleeves of the six sons would not wear them. Contrast this with the case of the ited States, which has been at war only sixteen months. The sons of every former President who are any- where near combatant age are in the fighting forces, Mr. Roosevelt, being particularly blessed with sons, carries the palm, but no one doubts that Presi- sons js. ar dent Wilson’s sons, if he had them, would also be in France or on the way. The Roosevelt sons have shown re- markable astuteness, apparently, in joining organizations which have got into the fighting early. One has al- ready been sacrificed for his country, and the -others have either been wounded or been cited for brave con- duct. In a recent discourse on the House of Hohenzollern, in the Reichstag, one Herr Oldenburg-Januschau declared: “The members of that house have ever educated themselves and their people to fight and die for the State.” A RETRIEVER T The thoroughness with which the people of the Hohenzollerns have been educated to fight and die is scandalous, but the members themselves of that house have been educated as fighters only to occupy high grades in the army. None of them has ever yet died in battle. Some of the more vicious may die, after the war, expiating their crimes on the scaffold. But as for wounds, the House of Hohenzollern enjoys a charmed immunity. ON'T fool yourself that you have a loyal heart if your stomach is aiding the Huns. O THE END