Life — December 12, 1918 — page 7: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Binding the Adversary" - Life Magazine Satire This page satirizes the Paris Peace Conference at Versailles (post-WWI). The main article jokes that binding "the Devil" for a thousand years through the peace treaty is an impossible task, while referencing Mr. Choate's past skepticism about the Devil's existence. The central cartoon depicts men in formal dress (diplomats) discussing the effort to restrain their adversary through treaty negotiations—likely referencing widespread doubts about whether harsh peace terms could actually constrain Germany long-term. The smaller cartoons mock various diplomatic concerns: one about a wife's ignorance of finances, another about Constitutional limits on the President's Foreign Ambassador appointment powers, and a soldier's romantic lament. The overall tone is skeptical that Versailles could truly create lasting peace.