Volume 153 — MR. PUNCH AS PROPAGANDIST.
Reading edition
I don't know what decided him to do it. I think he must have been a little fed up with our silly British way (rather attractive, all the same) of assuming that the whole world is bound to recognise the justice of our point of view without the use of propaganda to stimulate its intelligence.
Or else he had read somewhere that the Bolsheviks had been flooding the Hun trenches with Socialist literature and that the German Headquarters Staff had protested against this kind of thing as being contrary to etiquette, and he thought he couldn't go far wrong if he did something that was contrary to Bosch etiquette.
Anyhow he started off in his Bouverie biplane to distribute a million or so leaflets of his own composition over the whole expanse of the Fatherland. It has been my privilege to read a sample which he handed to me just before leaving earth. It runs as follows:—
"GERMANS—Your Kaiser has taken good care that his Press should keep you in ignorance of the feelings with which your nation is regarded by the civilized world. I am therefore about to oblige you with a few home-truths.
"You have probably heard a rumour that we and our Allies have no quarrel with the German people, but only with its rulers. Don't you believe a word of it. Possibly we still respected you when the War began, for we had not guessed how many of you had been looking forward for years to the coming of 'The Day.' It is what we have found out about you since you started fighting that has made us loathe and despise you.
"When, as a nation, you accepted without protest the filthy savagery of your armies in Belgium and other occupied lands; when even your women were vile in their cruelty to the helpless prisoners you had taken; when you rang your church bells and waved flags and took holidays for joy of the murder of innocent women and children, we were not deceived by apologists who explained that your only defect was that you were the slaves of a brutal militarism (though you were that, all right). We knew that you must have something of the beast in your hearts. How it got there was another matter; we only knew that it was there and that while it remained you were not fit for intercourse with decent men.
"Another thing that you may have heard (for even some of our own statesmen, reputed intelligent, have said it, and it has no doubt been eagerly seized upon by the officials who control your Press), is that your form of Government, the particular pattern of tyranny under which you elect to grovel, is no concern of ours. Well, don't you believe that either. This is no question of private taste, like the cut of your shoulder-pads or the shape of your women's waists, which are matters of purely local interest. Your type of Government is as much our concern; as the quality of your poison-gas or the composition of the bombs that you drop on our babies.
"I am reminded of the nonsense that used to be talked by responsible statesmen at the time when you were feverishly building a fleet to dispute our right to ensure the freedom of the seas. We were told that you were at perfect liberty to do so if you chose, and that it was not for us to interfere with your arrangements. Yet everybody knew all the time that there was nothing in the world that concerned us so closely. If France had been massing troops on your frontier you would at once have asked her to state her intentions, or even possibly have taken action without asking her. Well, the sea is our frontier.
"You are to understand, then (whatever anybody may say), that everything done in Germany that bears immediately upon our relations with your State is of prime concern to us. Our desire for peace is as strong as your need of it; but we cannot afford to make terms with a Government whose word, as we have proved, is not worth the paper they write it on—who would treat any peace as a mere armistice to give them breathing-space for preparing a fresh war. No, if you want peace you will have to displace your present rulers. You are so good at 'substitutes' that you ought to have no difficulty about that.
"And the sooner the better for you. For as this War drags on we are not getting to love you more. Even now it will take you at least a generation to purge your offence and get back into the community of civilized nations. But there is another thought that is more likely to affect your thick commercial hides, and it is this. Unless you take steps, and pretty soon, to put yourselves in a position in which we can treat with you, you will be boycotted in the markets of the world, and you will go bankrupt. It is for you, the German people, to decide whether you choose this fate. Meanwhile Time presses and the sands run low."
Such was the matter of the leaflet that Mr. Punch rained down from his Bouverie biplane (fortunately invulnerable) upon the cities of the Fatherland. Till now the German people, fed on windy tales of triumph in place of solid food, had borne their sufferings patiently as trials incident to all wars even when you are told that you are winning them. This was the first intimation they had received of the facts. For the first time they had a chance of seeing themselves as others saw them.
He carried no bombs, but as he flew over Potsdam he could not refrain from letting fall, by way of reprisal, a weighty souvenir upon the purlieus of the Imperial Palace. Dropped at a venture, there is reason to believe that it fell within measurable distance of the head-piece of the All-Highest. It was Mr. Punch's
Cartoons.
PARTRIDGE, BERNARD. At Bay, 319 Belgian Menace (The), 239 Betrayed, 399 Birthday Greeting for Hindenburg (A), 255 Breaking it up, 157 Brusiloff Hug (The), 25 Business of the Moment (The), 41 Dance of Death (The), 271 Freedom Renews Her Vow, 97 Here To-day and Gone To-morrow, 287 How it Strikes a Soldier, 351 How to Lose the War at Home, 303 If Everybody Helped, 383 Inexpensive Luxury (An), 431 "Knightly Manner" (The), 137 Last Crusade (The), 415 Long Live the House of Windsor!, 57 Privileged Disloyalty, 335 Real Voice of Labour (The), 117 Russia's Dark Hour, 77 St. George Out-Dragons the Dragon, 367 Saving of the Race (The), 9 RAVEN-HILL, L. Avanti, Savoia!, 191 Birds of Ill Omen, 361 Burglar Bill, 281 Cornered, 149 David in Rhonddaland, 377 Democratic Turn (The), 35 East Africa, 393 Enigma, 265 Fateful Session (A), 69 Great Incentive (A), 329 Great Uncontrolled (The), 345 Inseparable (The), 223 Interlude, 313 Intruders (The), 129 Liberators, 175 Nation Demands (The), 3 Need of Men (The), 409 New Loaf (The), 109 Place in the Moon (A), 233 Russia First, 207 Scrapper Scrapped (The), 51 Tuber's Repartee (The), 19 Vive la Chasse!, 297 Wait (The), 425 TOWNSEND, F.H. Counterblast (The), 89 "Keep the Home Fires Burning", 169 Letter and the Spirit (The), 249 Our Unemployed, 217 Perfect Innocence, 201 Reverse of the Medal (The), 185
Articles.
ARGYLL-SAXBY, C.F. "Skilly", 121 BEECROFT, A.E. Matilda, 141 BIRD, Capt. A.W. Head Case (A), 148 How to Cure the Bosch, 50 Stocking of Private Parks (The), 128 Tract for Grousers (A), 113 BLAIKLEY, Miss E.L. Gems from the Juniors, 28 BOWER, W.G. NOTT P.P.D. (The), 237 BRETHERTON, CYRIL Charivaria, weekly Preserving their Prospects, 179 To an Infant Gnu, 258 To my Butcher, 382 To Santa Claus, 430 BRIGHTWELL, L.R. Deal with China (A), 315 Dustbin, 68 Two Dumb Warriors. I. Hyldebrand, 108 War Dog (The), 228 BROWN, C.L.M. With the Auxiliary Patrol, 424 BROWN, Miss F.L.R. Our Souvenir Unit, 212 Tower that passed in the Night, 93 BROWN, HILTON Hymn for High Places, 133 BROWN, Miss L.R. Le Poilu de Carcassonne, 339 Le Sénégalais, 2 BROWNLEE, L.D. Pars with a Punch, 362 CHALMERS, P.R. Crossbills (The), 206 Signs of Inns, 241 CHANDLER, Miss B.W. A Surprise Party, 63 CHAYTOR, Rev. H.J. V.A.D., 125 COLLINS, G. Lovely Woman, 154 COLEMAN, H.O. Our Popular Educators, 429 CRESWELL, H.B. My Pyjamas, 340 DARLINGTON, W.A. Bucephalus and the Road Hogs, 196 Fire-Drill (The), 332 Involuntary Raid (An), 236 Philip, 36 Play's the Thing (The), 396 DAVEY, H.N. By the Canal in Flanders, 180 Our Innocent Subalterns, 299 Resolution (A), 11 DRENNAN, MAX Meditations of Marcus O'Reilly, 402 ECKERSLEY, ARTHUR End of an Episode, 183 If the Paper Shortage increases, 408 Theatrical Correspondence, 380 ELLIS, D.C. Tap-room (The), 60 FEELY, J.D. Noms de Guerre, 66 FISH, W.W. BLAIR. Absentee (The), 4 "He-who-must-be-Obeyed", 318 Herbs of Grace, 308, 324, 417 L'Agent Provocateur, 259 Literal Epoch (A), 74 New Golf (The), 134 "Ships that Pass in the Night", 40 Sugar Control, 218 FOX-SMITH, MISS C. Bullington, 83 Clyde-built Clipper (The), 414 Declaration of War (A), 274 Derelict, 356 Gipsy Soldier (The), 24 Little Things (The), 56 North Atlantic Trade (The), 142 Small Craft, 212 FRITH, E.A. Twelfth (The)—New Style, 104 FYLEMAN, MISS ROSE Fountain (The), 168 Have You Watched the Fairies?, 34 I Stood Against the Window, 23 There Used to be, 14 Visitors, 280 White Magic, 380 Yesterday in Oxford Street, 244 GARSTIN, CROSBIE. Chemin des Dames, 148 Mudlarks (The), 20, 71, 91, 132, 170, 225, 266, 282, 306, 330 Oswald and Co., 256 GARVEY, MISS INA. Thrills from the Termini, 108 GIBSON, Capt. H.N. Ideal Medical Board (An), 159 GIELGUD, L.E. H.Q. Touch (The), 238 GLASGOW, MRS. ROBERTSON. Missing, 276 GORE, Capt. J. Carp at Miramel (The), 264 GRAVES, C.L. Ballad of Eels (A), 164 Books and Books, 403 Change Cure (The), 84 Constable Jinks, 188 Cuss-Control, 254 Game of His Life (The), 124 In Wild Wales, 228 "Jong," 204 Lips and their Lessons, 424 Lines on Re-reading "Bleak House," 176 Margarine, 387 New Mrs. Markham (The), 272, 285, 308, 317, 348 Old Song Re-sung (An), 93 Our Mighty Penmen, 54 Pure English, 243 Rhymes for the Times, 275, 307 Sirens and Their Successors, 43 Spoil-Sport (The), 134 Stanzas on Tea Shortage, 291 Sugar, 372 Test of Type (The), 196 To "Martin Ross", 412 Tropical Tragedy (A), 260 Weary Watcher (The), 27 Woman as Usual, 5 HEILGERS, MISS LOUISE. Further Reminiscences, 38 HELME, MISS E.E. Gentlest Art (The), 92 Mentioned in Despatches, 1 Perfect Customer (The), 412 Second Childhood, 268 HERBERT, A.P. At the Dump, 340 Bomber Gipsy (The), 136 Hay Fever, 8 Humiliation of the Palfrey (The), 114 Incorrigibles (The), 76 Investiture (The), 96 Lost Leader (A), 38 Passing of the Cod's Head (The), 174 Patrols, 222 Rest-Rumour (The), 62 To the Regiment, 419 Trench Code (The), 190 Vengeance (The), 388 HERBERT, S.C. Lines to a Hun Airman, 172 HEYWOOD, M.A. Sugar Cards and Wills, 392 HODGKINSON, T. Ruined Rapture, 6
Articles—continued.
HOLMES, Capt.W. KERSLEY. Hut (The), 386 Jimmy—Killed in Action, 74 Long-faced Chums (The), 192 Semper eadem, 153 Ultimate Outrage (The), 302 V.C. (The), 418 HOPKINS, E.T. To a Dachshund, 376 HOPPER, C.W. Cave Dwellers (The), 252 Only Other Topic (The), 194 Superior Sex (The), 411 INCE, R.B. Little Match-Girl (The), 173 JAY, THOMAS Charivaria, weekly Poet (The), 324 KNOX, Miss KATHLEEN Lost Land (A), 187 LAFONE, H.C. An Order of the Day, 392 LANGLEY, CAPT. F.O. Letter from the Front (A), 154 Watch-Dogs (The), 52, 112, 202, 250, 394, 427 LASKER, R.S. Straight Talk with L.G. (A), 193 LEHMANN, R.C. Bank's Mistake (The), 420 Complete Plasher (The), 356 "Gog", 227 Going Back, 244 Heart-to-Heart Talks, 30, 62, 114, 172, 290 John Leech. I. To Our Greatest Contributor, 161 Last Match (The), 363 Lost Leader (The), 401 My Aunt Matilda, 388 Remembrance, 84 Self-Denial, 142 Six-and-a-penny-halfpenny, 324 Sugar, 276 Sunflower (The), 188 To Lord Rhondda, 13 Vote (The), 46 LETTS, Miss W.M. Airman (The), 165 LIPSCOMB, W.P. Camouflage Conversation, 300 "Chockchaw", 410 Codes, 234 Force of Habit, 248 Great Man (The), 312 Lessons of the War, 34 Letters of a General to his Son, 240 Literary Adviser (The), 360 Pratt's Tours of the Front, 280 LOCKER, W.A. At the Play, 115 Essence of Parliament, weekly during Session LUCAS, E.V. Allirap Asras, 273 Art to the Rescue, 404 As (The), 22 Believe Me or Believe Me Not, 385 Boat (The), 44 Convert (The), 180 Door (The), 253 Dr. Sullivan, 61 Heroes, 371 How to Brighten up the Theatre, 322 John Leech. II. Historian and Prophet, 161 Letter from New York (A), 131 London Mystery Solved (A), 224 Once upon a Time, 354 Peter, the Tempter, 338 Picture Postcards (The), 100 Presence of Mind, 284 Raid Jottings, 240 Reviews for—(The), 122 Stronger than Herself, 298 Study in Symmetry (A), 186 Triumphal Progress (The), 204 Two Missing Numbers (The), 12 Youngest Generation (The), 433 LYON, Miss L.B. Goin' Back, 56 Lavender, 398 LYON, P.H.B. Gilbert, 337 MACLEOD, L.R. Charivaria, weekly MILNE, A.A. One Star, 168 Way Down (The), 364 MILNE, K.J. Sugar Fiend (The), 328 OGILVIE, W.H. Pretending, 366 OYLER, Miss MADELINE What the Kingfisher Knew, 44 PLATT, F.W. "A merry Heart goes all the Day", 121 PLUMBE, C. CONWAY Shakspeare and the War, 197 PRESTON-TEWART, A. Counter Tactics, 365 Military Aides, 80 My Cuthbert, 29 Playing the Game, 178 Transgressor (The), 348 PUCKRIDGE, W.H. To the Men who have died for England, 30 PULLING, Miss J.K. Daughter of the Back Steppes (A), 192 REYNOLDS, MRS. Great Offence (The), 209 Old Formula (The), 301 Very Glad Eye (The), 354 RIGBY, REGINALD Choice (The), 120 Cross-Talk with Petherton, 269 Petherton and the Rag Auction, 220 Petherton's Pedigree, 54 Whisper and I shall Hear, 144 ROBERTS, E.L. Sauce for the Goose, 95 Whole Hog (The), 183 ROBINSON, Miss ESTHER Mistaken Charity, 216 ROQUETTE, D.G. Three Daughters of France, 101 Washout, 200 SAMPSON, R.H. Two Dumb Warriors. II. Ermyntrude, 111 SCOTT, J.C. Scotland for Ever, 59 SEAMAN, OWEN At the Play, 292 Idylls of the King of Prussia, 128 Innocents Abroad (The), 264 Kaiser's Oriental Studies (The), 88 Leaves from a London Notebook, 376 Melting-Pot (The), 2 Model Dialogues for Air Raids, 248 More Sorrows of the Sultan, 328 More Talk with German Peacemongers, 312 Mr. Punch as Propagandist, 435 Official Rectitude, 200 On Vimy Ridge, 50 Our Pacifists, 408 Society Notes, 232 Tino in Exile, 18 To Attila's Understudy, 344 To the German People, 392 To the Potsdam Pacifist, 216 To William at the Back of the Galician Front, 68 Victory (The), 360 Zepp-Flighting in the Hautes Alpes, 296 SHAKESPEARE, CAPT. W.J. Monsieur Joseph, 18 SHARPLEY, Miss STELLA Mariana in Wartime, 286 SKEVINGTON, MAJOR S.B. Cadet's Friend (The), 408 STEIN, MAJOR E. DE Fragment of a Tragedy, 94 Sidni the Storeman, 426 Stew (The), 316 STUART, Miss D.M. Beasts Royal, 221, 236, 252, 268, 284,300 London Pride, 122 "SYNTON, EDWARD" Duelling Extraordinary, 124 TARGETT, A.B. For Services Rendered, 242 TATHAM, M. Recorder (The), 314 Tube Hotels, Ltd. (The), 232 THOMAS, F.S. Nightmares, 334, 344 THOMAS, R.W. Suaviter in modo, 152 THORP, JOSEPH At the Play, 14, 28, 164, 177, 195, 211, 275, 370 TREMAYNE, SYDNEY Millie and the "Kayser", 378 "TRUSCOTT, PARRY" 'Taters, 372 UPCOTT, Miss Brown Cart-Horse (The), 151 WILSON, CAPT. T.P.C. David, 94 "Divisional Signs", 82 How to Become a Town-Major, 346 Signal Section (The), 64 Super-Pipe (The), 184 Trench Coats, 428
Pictures and Sketches.
ARMOUR, MAJOR G.D., 15, 30, 63, 197, 211, 229, 323, 350, 371
BATEMAN, H.M., 7, 39, 102, 103, 189, 338, 381
BAUMER, LEWIS, 31, 40, 56, 75, 105, 121, 143, 156, 181, 206, 221, 254, 269, 302, 321, 349, 366, 385, 398, 430
BELCHER, GEORGE, 37, 59, 101, 160, 177, 195, 225, 257, 285, 301, 339, 365, 411
BEUTTLER, E.G.O., 202
BIRD, W., 20, 44, 127, 153, 194, 215, 258, 262, 278, 294, 311, 354, 423
BRIGHTWELL, L.R. 120, 428
BROCK, H.M. 8, 36, 72, 159, 243, 251, 275, 331, 346
BROOK, RICARDO, 33, 60, 92, 126, 146, 178, 186, 226, 234, 310, 326, 330, 391
COLLER, H., 293
COLLER, H. & R.W.H., 241
DOWD, J.H., 123, 273, 322
EVANS, TREYER, 93
"FOUGASSE", 49, 80, 144, 231, 263, 314, 343, 375, 407
FRASER, P., 86, 100, 240
GHILCHIK, D.L., 17, 67, 199, 218, 394
GRAVE, CHARLES, 112, 141, 152, 307
HARRISON, CHARLES, 283, 378, 410
HART, FRANK, 23, 73
HASELDEN, W.K., 14, 28, 164, 292, 370
HENRY, THOMAS, 64, 242
JENNIS, G., 5, 55, 219, 355
LEECH, JOHN, 162, 163
LEWIN, F.G., 167, 210, 282
LONGMIRE, R.O., 274, 359
MILLS, A. WALLIS, 61, 76, 145, 213, 227, 259, 272, 290, 306, 325, 353, 373, 382, 402
MORELAND, ARTHUR, 386, 426
MORROW, EDWIN, 12
MORROW, GEORGE, 16, 32, 48, 66, 106, 125, 132, 147, 182, 198, 214, 230, 246, 247, 267, 279, 295, 342, 358, 374, 390, 406, 422, 434
NORRIS, ARTHUR, 170
PARTRIDGE, BERNARD, 1
PEGRAM, FRED, 135, 179, 187, 362, 417
PRANCE, BERTRAM, 161
RAVEN-HILL, L., 96, 250, 320, 334, 421, 427, 436
REYNOLDS, FRANK, 13, 24, 45, 116, 401, 414, 433
ROGERS, W.J., 87
ROSS, T., 82
SHEPHEARD, G.E., 107
SHEPPERSON, C.A., 43, 83, 95, 111, 136, 173, 190, 209, 224, 238, 256, 270, 286, 318, 341, 357, 387, 405, 418
STAMPA, G.L., 4, 29, 53, 81, 91, 113, 165, 183, 208, 245, 261, 266, 299, 333, 363, 395, 419
THOMAS, BERT, 21, 52, 71, 133, 155, 171, 203, 235, 289, 309, 315, 337, 379, 403
THORP, J.H., 298
TOWNSEND, F.H., 10, 11, 26, 27, 42, 47, 58, 65, 79, 85, 99, 115, 119, 131, 139, 140, 151, 166, 174, 193, 205, 222, 237, 253, 277, 288, 291, 304, 305, 317, 327, 336, 347, 352, 368, 369, 384, 389, 397, 400, 413, 416, 429, 432
WHITAKER, W.G., 46
