Life, 1922-07-06 · page 10 of 36
Life — July 6, 1922 — page 10: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This cartoon satirizes post-WWI diplomatic tensions, specifically the recurring crises over German reparations and French military threats to occupy the Ruhr region. The timeline lists events from 1919-1921 where Lloyd George (British PM) repeatedly "settles everything" through negotiations, yet tensions keep resurging. The cartoon depicts ambassadors being inoculated before sailing to "guard against the Old World Dip-lomacy Germ"—a medical metaphor suggesting diplomatic efforts are treated like vaccinations against recurring disease. The joke: despite repeated settlements and negotiations, European conflicts keep breaking out, so diplomats need preventative treatment before engaging with the same chronic problems.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
PRING, 1919 Summer, 1919 Winter, 1920 LIFE An Outline of Current History 1919-22 French cordon sanitaire pierced by a Rus- sian plumber. As retaliation, France threatens to occupy the Ruhr. When interviewed, “Tiger” growls and says, “Eat ’em alive.” A German was seen in Paris actually con- suming food, contrary to the provisions of the Versailles Treaty. France threatens occupancy of the Ruhr as a retaliatory measure. Lloyd George goes to Switzerland. Settles everything. A German cigar salesman apprehended in the act of closing a deal with Pomade Hongroise of the Coq d’Or. German “dumping” feared. Pertinax advises an advance on the Ruhr. Lloyd George goes to Italy. Settles every- thing. Natives in French Morocco demand home tule and disestablishment of the church. France suspects Bolshevik gold. Advance on Ruhr hinted at by officials. Lloyd George goes*to Holland. Settles everything. Henri Barbusse writes another book. Anatole France, Romain Rolland, J. M. Keynes and Karl Radek seen dining to- gether. International plot suspected. Battle plans for advance on Ruhr drafted. Lloyd George goes to sleep. Settles every- Or Some Such Precaution Summer, 1920 Winter, 1921 Spring, 1921 Secret agents report German children spending money freely on Shakespearean Drama. This is taken by Reparation ex- perts as conclusive evidence of Germany's ability to pay indemnity. If payments not forthcoming, advance on Ruhr fore- shadowed. Lloyd George goes to Cannes. everything. Settles Prominent French banker returns from Germany. Says Germans making a world- wide effort to capture mouse-trap trade, French manufacturers seriously perturb Question discussed in Chamber and esta- minets. Mobilization expected for advance on the Ruhr. Lloyd George goes to Paris. Settles every- thing. Germany desires a conference in which will be included Russia. Proposes to oc- cupy same room as French delegates. French War Ministry prostrate. When recovered, an advance on the Ruhr ex- pected. Lloyd George stays in England. everything. Settles Russia wants to discuss disarmament. Germany evinces a similar inclination. In a strenuous effort to avoid war, France proposes to advance on the Ruhr. Lloyd George informs Press “Everything's jake-a-loo.” AMBASSADORS must be inoculated before sailing, to Quard against thy Pia Weld Dip- pone nee comicbooks.com