Life, 1921-12-22 · page 17 of 34
Life — December 22, 1921 — page 17: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This cartoon satirizes American humanitarian intervention in post-WWI Russia. An angel (representing American idealism/charity) offers aid to a weary, suspicious Russian figure holding papers labeled "Pamphlets" and "Politics." The joke: Mr. Root and other American leaders argue that Russia needs American *moral* and *material* support to develop character and civilization. However, the cartoon suggests Russia resists this well-intentioned interference—hence the angel's plea "Please don't interfere." The satire cuts both ways: it mocks America's paternalistic assumption that Russians need American instruction in virtue, while also suggesting Russian suspicion of U.S. motives (viewing American aid as ideological imposition rather than genuine charity). The accompanying text by E.S. Martin supports American aid to Russia as character-building opportunity, but the cartoon implies the Russians aren't receptive to American interference, however benevolent its framing.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Copyright Life Pub. Co. The President has recommended to Congress an appropriation sufficient to supply the American Relief Adminis- tration with 10,000,000 bushels of corn and 1,000,000 bushels of seed grains. No doubt Congress will respond and have overwhelming popular support in any adequate action that it takes. Two months ago at the anniversary of the New York Hospital, Mr. Root, now a delegate to the Conference at Washington, made an address in which he said that All the terrible lessons of the last decade show most clearly that the “Please don’t interfere” most insuperable obstacle to the peace and happiness and progress and growth of the people is their incapac- ity to receive the blessings that are ready for them—if they will but take them. The world is full of hatred and strife and murder to-day, because of the incapacity of millions of peo- ple, in organized states, to receive the truth that is being spread throughout all civilization and which is to be theirs in centuries to come—but they are not ready for it. All the sermons ever preached, all the orations ever deliv- ered, all the books ever printed, work- ing through the brain of man cannot fit him for the acceptance of the high- est tasks that man is capable of. The development of character must come through exercise by them of the vir- tues that make human character— mercy, compassion, kindly considera- tion, brotherly affection, sympathy with fellow-man, unselfish willingness to sacrifice for others. That seems like sound doctrine, and if the development of character must come by the exercise of the virtues Mr. Root mentions, Russia offers us an opportunity to develop some national character in this way and it will be our great loss if we do not hurry to ac- cept it. E. S. Martin. comicbooks.com