Life — October 19, 1922 — page 17: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This cartoon depicts a mountain or volcano in violent eruption, with dark smoke and ash billowing upward. The word "DOORN" appears at the base—likely referring to **Doorn, Netherlands**, where German Kaiser Wilhelm II lived in exile after World War I. The satirical title suggests Wilhelm II, once a powerful political force (the "extinct volcano"), has suddenly become active again. This implies a resurgence of German militarism or the Kaiser's political influence during the interwar period. The sketch's dramatic style emphasizes the unexpected, violent nature of this "eruption"—suggesting alarm at renewed German aggression or Wilhelm's continued relevance as a political figure despite his formal exile.