Life, 1918-11-14 · page 26 of 34
Life — November 14, 1918 — page 26: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three satirical pieces critiquing American attitudes during WWI era: **"The Cavalry Horse"** (top): A frazzled horse exhausted from chasing "Huns" represents the brutal reality of warfare, contrasting with nationalistic rhetoric. **"How to Promote International Friendship"** (center): Satirizes American boastfulness. The text—with multiple blanks where specific claims are omitted—mocks self-congratulatory nationalism: the U.S. claims superiority in every domain while lecturing other nations. The illustration of a benevolent gentleman hitting a child ("I ain't hit 'im yet") darkly suggests that American "friendship" involves coercive force masked as help. **"Domestic Economy"** (right): Shows a wife managing household wartime duties while asking to give father an afternoon off, satirizing how civilians bear war's burden. **"A New Sensation"** (bottom right): References Prohibition (beginning July 1920), sarcastically suggesting that government inspection makes honest behavior seem refreshingly novel. The overarching message: American self-righteousness about democracy and superiority rings hollow amid wartime sacrifice and looming social restrictions.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Horse: wwew! 1 CERTAINLY AM OUT OF 3 HUNS ALL—WHEW!—DAY, AND THESE ¢ WHEW How to Promote International Friendship Tie United States is the most wonderful country the r know. We have that any man ever looked on, and we a When it comes to ——— or what other nation can even approach us? turn out more —— world has ever known, or ever will the atest. ——— are improving it ds Every year we than does all the rest of the world, 2 to exert ourselves. We can lick d behind us, and without half trying n knock the daylights out of and to- Until the United States pointed out how to de- , what other nation even dreamed that such a and we've barely be with one arm ti we gether. velop Benevolent Old Gentleman: my! my! SO FOR? “GosH! 1 DUNNO. 1 AIN'T HIT "IM YET.” WHAT'S HE CRYING YS CERTAINLY CAN— Domestic Economy * OTHER, has the war bread beer made for the w " “Yes, my daughter.” “Have our motor corps heen mended and pressed?” “Yes, daughter.” “Have the rooms been dusted, the floors swept, the beds all made? Ha the silver been cleaned?” aughter.” e goldfish been fed, the windows washed, the dogs bathed and red?” uniforr the rugs “Yes, daughter.” “Then don’t you think we'd better give father an afternoon off?” A New Sensation , after next July we won't able to take a drink except on I've ted an open so long now under govern- ment inspection that it will be a ple ure to practice deceit in any form, t's no. hardship. WHEW !—BREATH, Uncle Sam: THIS NURTS ME AS MUCH AS IT DOES You, MY BOY, BUT I'VE GOT TO DO IT possibility existed? Answer that, if you can. Our system is better than that of any European country, by far, and even ours isn't now one, two, three, compared with what it will be in another year or so. And listen! There more real among our people than you will find any- where else on carth, a fact that you can prove to your own satisfaction by looking up our per capita And after you've looked up that, it'll open your eyes, believe me, if you'll take your mind off your own country long enough to consider our and ——— and , not to mention our comicbooks.com