Life, 1919-02-13 · page 19 of 42
Life — February 13, 1919 — page 19: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The top cartoon depicts WWI-era soldiers, likely American and British officers, with one attempting to repeat German phrases ("und ve vill forget und forgif") to a French officer. The satire mocks the difficulty of post-war reconciliation—the broken German accent emphasizes the absurdity of expecting former enemies to forgive and forget quickly after devastating conflict. The bottom illustration shows two dogs discussing a dachshund ("Fritz")—a German breed name that became a derogatory term for Germans during WWI. The joke about demanding an "indemnity" references actual post-war reparations imposed on Germany, here absurdly applied to a pet dog. This reflects contemporary anti-German sentiment and the punitive Treaty of Versailles negotiations. The "Kings and Emperors" poem appears to celebrate the fall of European monarchies and their wartime leadership, presenting it as divine justice for their blindness to fate.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“UND VE VILL FORGET UND FORGIF—FH—SO “OH, SURE! SAY, JUST REPEAT THAT IN FRENCH TO MY FRIEND HERE, WILL You?” Kings and Emperors INGS and Emperors shall pass Like the sands within the glass. See them passing even now, | Shorn of power, and bent of brow! ! Purblind they who saw not Fate Standing by the palace gat Deaf were they, and their reward Is the Justice of the Lord! Clinton Secollard, THINGS you never find in the best sellers, although they abound in real life: nnel_night-shirts. Saturday-night baths. People who freeze their own ice- cream, Souvenir postcards, A man in love with his own wife. A Ford. A hero with a beard. A fat heroine. A 1 Paddy: WHAT SHALL WE DO ABOUT FRITZ, THE DACHSHUND? parlor. Jock: WELL, 1 THINK HE OUGHT TO PAY AN INDEMNITY OF AT LE! Sunday schools, GOOD BONES, T TEN comicbooks.com