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Life, 1919-01-09 · page 17 of 34

Life — January 9, 1919 — page 17: what you’re looking at

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Life — January 9, 1919 — page 17: Life, 1919-01-09

What you’re looking at

The cartoon depicts a military officer (likely representing Republican/interventionist views) confronting a civilian in formal dress (likely representing Democratic/progressive views), asking which political faction he represents. The caption's question satirizes post-WWI American political division. The accompanying text discusses post-war Europe, German revolution, the League of Nations, and American emergence as a world power. It references French predictions about a "sixth race" forming in North America—a pseudoscientific concept popular in spiritualist literature of the era—suggesting Americans would become a dominant civilization. The satire targets the disconnect between American political parties squabbling over domestic identity ("Republican or Democrat?") while Europe faces existential chaos. The cartoonist suggests such partisan bickering is trivial given America's new global responsibilities and the international stakes of 1919 (League negotiations, Russian famine, German instability). The joke: Americans arguing about party labels while civilization itself hangs in the balance.

📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

WHAT Ane of the sort was ever done before on such a scale and in such a spirit. When such a hand has been put to such plough as that, there can be no turning back. The furrow must run through, and the League of Nations is plainly on its line. The Frénchman “European hegemony annihilated for- ever” as a consequence of the war, and Germany finishing in a frightful revolution. He went on: As to a United States of Europe, you will never make a Spaniard an associate of a Russian, nor a Swede (as quoted) saw YoU, JONN, REPUBLIC AN O& DEMOCKAT? the bro or that it is neces: them to the Mississippi. As for the United States, without ing sought it, by ihe very force they will be a people made up of st daring, the most ener xetic, the from he oldest peoples of the continent. They will have a history of common glory of traditions. They will be strong and formidable, for they will most alive among have learned the business of arms, These last remarks recall the infor- mation that one finds here and there in the spiritist literature, now increasingly prevalent, to effect that the sixth race of men is now forming in North America (Australians, also please apply), and may be expected to put handsome and over a very world-improving per- formance before it yield. the carth to the seventh After destiny of these America, Sunn let out a tuck or two, a little ad more fae” bolder cheeri Fbeore, however. map, and human interest still cen- ters there, and ther mong other things one wonders w Germany's ¢ all of whom are now long bills Germany prey will be able to collect eventful winter ahead, and ov brethren who are helping t¢ present watch on the Rhine keey Some « very interesting experiences ig hard to work Others are the Germans are try out a government trying to prevent them, and prefer. ly, the of anarchy, and then a appare here should first be an interv. murde pillage and de ction new’ start o1 new and never-before-tried prograr It seems quite possible that the Se mans will get to nother off work to kil and how far the Al agees, will intervene to save the security does not disclose itself iv vanee Russia, of course, is still worse off Hecause what may happen to German has happened to her, and t winter is col nd food in stock there, and hard to distribute, and Mr. Hoover the world’s food though dispenser, most kindly disposed towards Russia, intends to help Belgium, France, Brit- in, Italy and Servia first. But all the executive power of Christendom will be centered this month in Paris, and if these problems cannot be solved there, they can’t here, and anyhow, we shall have to have a recount next spring and see who's left alive Such times! Such times! ing to the anxious, full of menace to the timid, but freighted with splendid promise to the eye of faith! Bewilder- comicbooks.com