A complete issue · 36 pages · 1918
Judge — May 25, 1918
# "A Trench Spade" (Judge, May 25, 1918) This Norman Rockwell illustration satirizes World War I trench warfare. The spade-shaped silhouette contains soldiers in a trench, illuminated by what appears to be artillery fire or explosions. The image is dark and ominous—quite different from Rockwell's later cheerful style. In 1918, America was actively fighting in WWI (1917-1918). The cartoon likely critiques the brutal conditions soldiers faced in trenches—the mud, confined spaces, and constant bombardment that defined trench warfare on the Western Front. By embedding soldiers within the very tool they used to dig trenches, Rockwell suggests how completely the war consumed soldiers' lives. The playing-card format (spade suit) frames this grim reality as part of darker "games" of war.
# Analysis This page is primarily **advertising**, not political satire. It promotes "The Complete Works of Guy de Maupassant"—a 17-volume book set in cloth binding. The image at top left appears to be an illustration from one of Maupassant's stories, likely depicting a scene from "The Hun at Play" (referenced in the text), which seems to describe Prussian officers' behavior during occupation of a French château. The advertisement emphasizes Maupassant as a "Greatest of Story Writers," comparing him favorably to Tolstoy and Andrew Lang. The text celebrates his unflinching realism about human nature—"virtue is praised and vice is condemned rather by events and action." The bottom section offers subscription details: $1.00 down payment, then $1.50 monthly installments for the complete set. This is essentially a book advertisement using literary reputation-building rather than political commentary.
# "The Rookie's Prayer" This is a World War I poem by Private Lawrence Minor Connolly from the 1st Ammunition Train, Camp Hancock, Augusta, Georgia. The illustration by Charles Sarka shows a young soldier standing resolute on a battlefield, silhouetted against clouds of smoke and explosions. The poem presents a new recruit's raw, honest prayer—mixing fear with determination. The soldier is exhausted from training (blistered feet, aching arms) but resolves to endure combat without complaint. The refrain "Just give me nerve and I won't ask more" captures the modest hope of an inexperienced soldier facing the unknown horrors of trench warfare. The piece validates soldiers' suffering while celebrating their stoic courage, appearing designed to boost morale or honor enlisted men's sacrifices during WWI.
