Life, 1919-01-09 · page 8 of 34
Life — January 9, 1919 — page 8: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains political commentary on World War I and post-war reconstruction. The top cartoon depicts chaos at "HQ Quarters" during the Battle of Verdun, with General Joffre practicing military maneuvers amid destruction. The text discusses European geopolitics, mentioning Henry Ford and suggesting "Mr. Wilson" (President Woodrow Wilson) as a potential "guardian" for post-war Europe. It predicts future conflicts between major powers and questions whether France's dominance will persist. The bottom illustration shows a woman unable to get up from bed, captioned "I CAN'T GIT'EM UP, I CAN'T GIT'EM UP, I CAN'T—" This appears satirical commentary on post-war social/domestic conditions, likely referencing war-related hardships or their aftermath. The overall tone is darkly satirical about war's consequences and international power struggles.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
44 from huge battle year i9t3 a strange fig 1s new Nape of the bloody dran mnilitarist writer or a journalist, but in his grip n of little emain till toe calamity will for the old « left no empires of Europe will end of t ea mark a new pol There will and kingdon world will form a n of the United There will remain ie il er world States of fons only four giants—the Anglo Saxons, th ins, the Slavs and the } There is more about thin later—changes, dissipations overing half a less clear and understandable than the forezoing. But what is quoted above covers matters as far as they have got, and a little farther, and, of course, in- vites rumination about the strange fig- North in whose grip most Surope will remain for ten years. Henry Ford, the time of his peace foray, was picked by some persons for this part, but did not make good. Jf the Republican se should get wind of this vision, and compute 1 apolcon and ten-yed guardian be Mr. Wilson, they t have to be carried out in col- lapse. It would be intrusive to imagine what George Harvey would say to it or how he would feel, but one could learn in due time for ten cents by buy- mations ntury, and ators Europe's new may mig’ ing his war-weekly It is not safe to bet on visions. but such a vision as this, that has com- prehensible, connected thought in it, is interesting to follow, as the events it purports to deal with gradually disclose themselves. This one, whatever onc may think of it, is very remarkable. The war did come as forecast, but a year later; it did start in South- eastern Europe, and it did proceed out of commercialism. And the suggestion about the United States of Nations and four great giants does not seem at all unlikely to work out into. pr: shape. The Mongolians pro presently flock together; the Slavs are getting together as fast as they can; the Anglo-Saxons have got together, and as for the Latins, Ttaly and France are in the same Alliance, and Italy is ing to increase her size. An Italian Napoleon) working with France made quite a stir a century ago;.the Italians finally made more than good in the late KIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BATTLE OF VERDU GENERAL JONES IS CALLED IN TO PRACTICE HIS SCALES war, and nobody will suggest that any family that has France in itis not great When, in all history, was there so interesting a time with so many fairly competent minds taking note of it! Ev- erything is out of the usual, boundaries all political conditions are fluid and awaiting change. If states- men consult dream-books they arc excusable, and as for this Tolstoi dream—well, what do you think of it? E.S.M. are gone, “1 G.N'T GETTIM UP, 1 CAN'T GETTIM UP, ECAN'T—"