Life, 1919-05-29 · page 42 of 42
Life — May 29, 1919 — page 42: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a post-WWI propaganda advertisement for McClure's Magazine (May issue). The illustration depicts a muscular American soldier ("Silver Chevron"—lower rank) standing triumphantly over defeated enemies, including what appears to be a German soldier ("Gold Chevron"—higher rank). The advertisement claims that Germany's surrender wasn't primarily due to military exhaustion from fighting the French, British, and Italians, but rather from something happening on the American home front—presented as a mysterious "dramatic military secret" the War Department permitted the magazine to reveal. This reflects the post-war American narrative that American entry decisively ended the conflict. The "secret" is never stated here; it's clickbait to sell magazines. The quote attributes German surrender to "the awakened conscience of the American people"—patriotic mythology rather than military analysis. This represents typical 1919 American triumphalism and the emerging "stab-in-the-back" mythology that would later fuel dangerous historical revisionism.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
How the Silver Chevron Backed Up the Gold Chevron! Why Germany Quit | “ They quit before the wrath of God, thundering in the awakened conscience of the American people!” OU FEEL pretty sure you know why Germany quit. She was short of food and men; and she was bank- rupt of morale. The American fighters, fresh on the job and just looking for trouble, swung a powerful weight into the battle-line. Before this pressure, after being worn down by the French, the British, the Italians and éther staunch armies, Ger- many succumbed, That’s what you think! But that’s not the whole truth of the matter. It wasn’t only the American army then in France that scared off the Hun. It was some- thing right here at home that made him throw up his hands. Read in May McCLURE’S what that something was. Cleveland Moffett tells the stirring story. McCLURE’S, with the co-operation of the War Department, is permitted to reveal these most dramatic military secrets. “WHY GERMANY QUIT” will continue for months in this magazine with increasing interest and intensity. Buy McCLURE’S regularly. Start with the big May number. 20 OTHER BIG FEATURES for 20 CENTS in MAY MCCLURE’S PETER J. CAREY, PRINTER