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Title: Flat River, Missouri, 1915 February, sheet 18
Summary: Flat River, Missouri, February 1915. Streets: Farming, Cattle, Hill, Mountain, Valley, 1st (First) Street, Sioux Place, Norwine, Railroad, Houser, 2nd (Second) St,. 3rd (Third) Street, End

Title: JM-161: The refining influence of speculating in war stock
Summary: This cartoon shows two impressions of the same family living in the United States during World War I. The top panel displays the family before they bought war stocks. The bottom panel shows them after they purchased war stocks. In the top panel, the mother and father are lamenting on the carnage of the war, causing the death of millions in Europe. The couple is horrified at the seemingly senseless loss of life. In the bottom panel, the couple are thrilled the war is expected to drag on, because the value of their war stocks will continue to increase and provide a temporarily sustained income to the family. This cartoon is meant to illustrate Americans’ disturbing lack of empathy at the mere promise of profit. The United States notoriously made large profits throughout most of World War I selling weapons to use in the war, while remaining neutral in the conflict until 1917. (Summary created by Mary Delano, MU History Intern, Spring 2018)

Title: JM-165: The great temperance worker
Summary: This cartoon shows personified World War I separating countries from their chains to alcohol. The man with the decree on separation is a representation of Russia, who legalized prohibition from 1914 until 1925. The man to his right, holding a separation for absinthe, is a personified France, which banned the manufacture and sale of absinthe in 1914. The man chained to whiskey seeking freedom is representative of Great Britain, who never ratified any serious form of a national alcohol ban. There are many theories as to why these countries (including the United States from 1920-1933) banned the sale or manufacture of alcohol in some way. The cartoon suggests these bans were caused by what many referred to as the "efficiency campaign," which was depicted as the axe used to separate alcohol from these countries. The efficiency campaign suggested these countries were more productive when its citizens (especially laborers) were sober. After banning the sale of alcohol in Russia, the government proudly announced Russia's increased labor output and better economic standing. The heightened need for resources, and diminished labor force from World War I is thought to have inspired the need for higher economic efficiency in European nations. (Summary created by Mary Delano, MU History Intern, Spring 2018)

Title: JM-162: Why the U. S. must be strictly neutral
Summary: This comic depicts the United States flag having forty eight stars, because Hawaii and Alaska would not become states until 1959. Each star has a ethnicity or nationality listed on it to represent the different types of immigrants assimilating and/or remaining in the United States after moving from different locations. The quote below the comment reads, “Why the US must be strictly neutral and tolerant if we expect these citizens to remain good Americans.” This cartoon suggests that if the United States were to enter World War I, it would outrage the immigrants of the countries upon which the United States declared war. This was a common concern of United States citizens before the United States entered World War I. (Summary created by Mary Delano, MU History Intern, Spring 2018)

Title: JM-160: The Christmas Carol that was not rehearsed
Summary: This cartoon highlights and humorizes the lack of agreement between President Woodrow Wilson and his Secretary of State, Robert Lansing. In December of 1916, President Wilson issued a peace note, explaining his position on the United States involvement in World War I. President Wilson wished to help negotiate peace talks between the allies and Germany, which had been recently suggested by Germany. President Wilson also wished to keep the United State a neutral party within World War I, not providing military support to either side. In this peace note, Lansing offered an addendum saying, "The United States already in the war economically, was being drawn in militaristically." This caused a great upset in the Wilson administration as the President tried to emphasize the need for peace without completely discrediting his Secretary of State. The cartoon highlights this discomfort by showing Lansing and President Wilson essentially singing a different tune. A shocked Uncle Sam (citizens of the United States) sits listening to the pair and is unsure what to think of the spectacle. This cartoon uses Christmas carols as a humorous reminder that this incident occurred within the week before Christmas in December of 1916, less than six months before the United States would eventually enter World War I. (Summary created by Mary Delano, MU History Intern, Spring 2018)

Title: JM-164: Will there be enough to go round?
Summary: This cartoon depicts Uncle Sam trying to divide ”U.S. Bread” among various nations. In 1915, World War I was being fought in Europe, but the United States was maintaining a neutral position. Despite its neutrality, the United States supplied resources and arms to nations during the war. All of the countries sitting at the table are nations who lobbied for resources from the United States during the war. England is attempting to block Germany’s chance of receiving resources from Uncle Sam. This is representative the attempts of the British government to limit the United States aid to Allied Powers, most often England. The United States is also sitting at the table, looking worried about sharing the beard with other nations. The United States distributing more resources than it could afford was a fear for many Americans in the 1910s. (Summary created by Mary Delano, MU History Intern, Spring 2018)

Title: JM-C004: A full house for the Western movie at the theater
Summary: Editorial cartoon depicting the inside of a movie theater. A man on a horse firing a gun can be seen on the screen, and the seats are all filled.

Title: JM-159: The value of ideals. 159
Summary: Editorial cartoon depicting William Jennings Bryan lecturing to earn money in the aftermath of his loss in the 1900 senatorial election. Bryan charged $500 per speech or lecture, and he was the most popular speaker on the Chautauqua circuit from 1900 to 1912.

Title: JM-163: Suggestion for new seating arrangement in the Illinois state legislature
Summary: This cartoon depicts the Illinois legislature in January of 1915. The legislature is divided into two groups, but not the traditional party divides of the Democrat and Republican parties. The two groups are “wet” and “dry.” The members of the legislature sitting on the ”wet” side are fervently against any prohibition legislation within the state of Illinois. The “dry” side is composed of politicians who favor implementing regulations of the distribution and sale of alcohol. The cartoon points out how this issue of prohibition has divided members of each political party, upsetting the status quo of the legislature (grouping by political party). These suggestions for alcohol regulations in Illinois were some of many being proposed throughout various levels of government in the United States at the time. Many found the temperance movement in the United States to be a more moral than political issue, making it a hotly debated topic within the Republican and Democrat parties. This cartoon was created only five years before the eighteenth amendment to the United States Constitution was passed, which declared the manufacture and sale of alcohol illegal. (Summary created by Mary Delano, MU History Intern, Spring 2018)

Title: JM-167: Two crimes
Summary: This cartoon depicts the Lusitania, an American ocean liner destroyed by German naval forces in World War I on May 7, 1915. The ship was carrying American passengers and ammunition intended for the British armed forces. The top panel of the cartoon features the periscope of the German submarine spying on the Lusitania. Eventually the German submarine fired a torpedo, which killed 1,198 passengers aboard the ship. The bottom panel of the cartoon shows the 173 tons of ammunition carried on board the Lusitania and the innocent, most likely unaware passengers standing above it. The sinking of the Lusitania caused international outrage, but blame for the attack was passed back and forth between various parties. Many, particularly those in Great Britain, blamed the Germans who committed this attack. Others blamed the United States and the passengers, who ignored Germany’s repeated warning that any ship attempting to enter Great Britain would be subject to attack. Many, including journalists for the Chicago Tribune, claimed Great Britain was responsible for this tragedy. Great Britain had placed immense pressure on the United States to deliver arms, and the British government assured the Lusitania it would be protected from German attack. The Chicago Tribune featured an entire article placing responsibility for the sinking of the Lusitania on Great Britain. After detailing Great Britain’s interest in the Lusitania, the author of the article wrote, “England and England alone is to be held responsible for the loss of life because England lured Americans to death, hoping that the presence of Americans would protect the ship against German attack.” (Summary created by Mary Delano, MU History Intern, Spring 2018)

Title: JM-166: Two unpopular Europeans
Summary: This cartoon shows two European men in World War I. The first man (in the top panel) is slumping his shoulders and tries to avoid attention. He is refusing to enlist the the military, unlike the other men in his country. The caption for the top panel reads, “The man who won’t enlist for his country during the war”. The second man (in the bottom panel) is proudly walking past a group of women, including women who were widowed in World War I. The bottom panel is captioned, “The man who won’t marry for his country after the war”. Instead of getting married to help begin rebuilding society, this man proudly presents himself as a bachelor. These two men are “unpopular”, because they do not conform with the sense of duty and sacrifice that was developed in Europe during and after World War I. Sacrificing oneself for one’s country was seen as an honorable and moral action during this time period. (Summary created by Mary Delano, MU History Intern, Spring 2018)

Title: Savitar, 1915. Volume 21

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