Life, 1918-12-12 · page 7 of 34
Life — December 12, 1918 — page 7: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
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.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“LIP E- 887 — j y Binding the Adversary / y OUGHLY speaking, the purpose of the Peace Conference at Versailles will be to bind the Devil for a thousand years. A bold undertaking! A huge undertaking! Seems impossible! But will anything less suffice? There is a tradition of long standing that this thing would one day be done. The saints for almost two thousand years have counted on it, | / AAU i ! | and taken courage in their expectation. To be ‘ | ‘ sure, they did not look for it to be done by human | ial hands, but by celestial powers, but they expected H excellent results to follow for humanity — peace on earth, and general forbearance and good nature among the nations. The Old Boy has cut up unusually the last four years. It may be recalled that Mr. Choate said that he had been skeptical of the existence of the Devil, but that the early incidents of the war had cured him of his doubts, The Adversary has been on the loose, and still is mighty active, especially in Russia, The celestial powers seem not to be bothering about him, and if he is to be tied up it looks as though we must look to ourselves to do it. That must be the reason why Mr. Wilson is going to France. He seems to have sized up the job there for what it is, and concluded that he has a dis- tinct call to get in on it. And truly if there is a man now liv- ing whom one would pick to be group leader in an effort to bind the Devil, I A, ~ WW 1y WIFE IS A NICE WOMAN, BUT SHE SIMPLY HAS NO IDEA ABOUT MON! KMAPS YOU HAVE NEVER GIVEN HER A CHANCE TO FIND OUT ABOUT IT,” Too Lengthy The Silver Lining T! SELFMADER: Rather nice HE late Kaiser looked glum enough sir of ours this, eh? Nothing as he eyed the drastic terms of his smal! ahout me! I remember the time inevitable restriction. But suddenly his when | couldn't afford it. But I love face cleared, and he gave a sigh of re- lief. “There is one consolation,” he Thy MaNNexnonsre: You'llget tired ™urmured; “this disgraceful agre . , ae ment will open up all lines of communi- of it when you've been at it as long : cd Way cation, and I shall again receive regu- 7 ve. ” larly my Hearst American, to blow in the dough. ». sir! That's the beauty of bet ing scli-made. It takes so long to do [>it constitutional for the President hil the trick that you don’t have enough to appoint himself a Foreign Am- Teer na a penine me ness time eit over afterwards to get hassador without the advice and con- But, by Jove, I'll have to change it to tired.” sent of the “The girl I took along”! comicbooks.com