Life, 1918-12-12 · page 23 of 34
Life — December 12, 1918 — page 23: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**Top Cartoon:** A caricatured German figure stands on a wrecked "German War Machine," lamenting that it took forty years to build but lasted only four years. This satirizes Germany's military defeat in World War I (1914-1918), mocking the collapse of German military power after years of buildup. **"Famous Utterances" Section:** This presents humorous fake quotes from historical figures—Tiberius Gracchus, Pompey, Cambyses, Alexander the Great, Xenophon, and Nero—applying modern WWI-era language and concerns (democracy, retreat, doing one's bit) anachronistically to ancient times. The humor lies in this absurd historical mashup. **Bottom Cartoon:** A domestic scene where a boy wants to keep a small creature as a military mascot. The joke appears to mock wartime sentimentality or the militarization of everyday life during WWI. The page satirizes German defeat and contemporary wartime attitudes through both direct mockery and historical parody.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Germany: 17 TOOK ME FORTY YEARS TO BUILD IT—UND IT ONLY LASTED FOUR YEARS Famous Utterances IBERIUS GRACCHUS, during the Corn Riots: “No truce will be vade with our enemies until Rome has 1 made safe for democracy.” , after the battle of Phar- Strong enemy counter thrusts re repulsed with great loss. Our rees have fallen back to. prepared sitions in Tall Timber Wood.” Cambyses, preparing for the invasion i Egypt: “Amasis sl feel the of Persia's mailed fist.” Alexander the Great, after conquer- ig the world: “T shall stand no non- scnse from the gods after this w: Xenophon, approaching the Ei iter Cunaxa: “Our armies continue » retreat to victory.” The Emperor Nero, disappearing un- er the imperial banquet table after having consomed the week's output of ie imperial breweries: “ At any rate, they can’t accuse me of not doing my bit.” “ popnre, I HOPE YOU DON’T EXPECT TO KEEP THAT CREATURE.” “1 COT TO KEEP HIM, MOTHER, THE GIMENT I'M CAPTAIN OF SIMPLY HAS TO HAVE A MASCOT.” comicbooks.com