Life — November 28, 1918 — page 29: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This political cartoon satirizes WWI prisoner-of-war security measures. Two military officers stand before an "Entente Victory Cage"—a barbed-wire enclosure surrounded by explosions. The ground is littered with labeled obstacles: "Trickery," "Intrigue," and "Unscrupulous Foe Caught." The satire mocks the complexity of the approved security method, suggesting the Entente (Allied powers) are relying on elaborate, questionable tactics—trickery and intrigue—to prevent prisoner escapes rather than straightforward, ethical detention practices. The explosions and chaos surrounding the cage underscore how chaotic and dangerous such methods appear. The cartoon critiques both the necessity for such extreme measures and implies skepticism about their actual effectiveness or morality. The humor derives from presenting dubious practices as officially "approved."