Life — October 31, 1918 — page 15: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page contains WWI-era political cartoons satirizing wartime conditions and diplomacy: 1. **"Influenza Español"** mocks crowded public spaces during the 1918 flu pandemic. 2. **"Winter's supply"** jokes about fuel/heating shortages on the home front. 3. **"Stormy days of peace"** depicts U.S. merchant marines facing submarine threats. 4. **Liberty Loan chart** satirizes the climbing debt from war bonds. 5. **"The Kaiser wants peace by piecemeal"** shows Germany's negotiation tactics, with the Kaiser offering conditional surrender while France resists. 6. **"The dansant à la guerre"** contrasts civilian dancing ("over here") with soldiers' experiences ("over there"). 7. **Final panel**: Wives/girlfriends eagerly await soldiers' homecoming ("when the boys come home!!"). The cartoons blend home-front hardships with military themes and romantic anticipation typical of 1918 American satire.