Life, 1924-05-01 · page 17 of 40
Life — May 1, 1924 — page 17: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This Life magazine page satirizes American warmongering sentiment, likely from the World War I era. The central cartoon depicts an explosion labeled "CHEMIST: HOORAY! I'VE DISCOVERED A NEW HIGH EXPLOSIVE!" The satire targets multiple targets: pacifist sentiment ("Cut it out!"), government inefficiency, and particularly those advocating escalated military conflict. Various contributors submit increasingly absurd "war plans"—from Japan invasion schemes to demanding other nations pay war debts through military conquest. The cartoon's explosion symbolizes how calls for bigger wars spiral into destructive madness. The phrase "Cut it out!" (repeated throughout) mocks the futility of appeals for peace against those profiting from or romanticizing warfare. Life magazine uses dark humor to critique American interventionist impulses and the cheerleading for global conflict.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
LIFE “We Want Bigger and Better Wars” d here “Them dirty Japs! They start final grist from itt ) prindi y inex Oscar GRatve est 12th Street ti 120 1 > hatever iv Se Sit Tight “ Ny out of date, Con it 1. Do_nothing With bour ! rid Conn 2. Sufficient unto The Day are the we be hi 1 St ( xt li this is Lire gait Pro Bello li Reticton ig an_ obstacle (asleep, but s y this grea living yet) Cut it out! at Lire And law is a deterrer have intimated frequently forget) lj The Last Word MOBILIZE Box 33, D | The Yellow Peril Wny not Japan? There's been a lot of talk of war with Japan | our propaganda is half-accom: plished. Besides, Japan is crippled owing to € ake and fire; in | ther words, God is already work- z with us _ Then start rumors. Start ‘em Have the 1 Congre rt determ in California. Six little orphan nd in a dark wood with H girls throats cut. ( ¢! My cousin their six I | est! It's tr | had a friend who [ what them Ja aps are!") | | | i] | h with their ears removed! the coinc nce (for one the country as proof that the id will pay did it my to ext, have George M. Cohan a song; its refrain: “Let's he Jap from off the map sweeps the country and children sing it cetings are held ir California, Oregon and Well, that’s eno The President, although his t bleeds, can hold out any all F rawest place 1 ger. He ge ress with 1 If we t i his message Chemist: ooray! 1've DISCOVERED A NEW bets we sha think WAR! HIGH EXPLOSIVE! (Contir 34) comicbooks.com