The Dominion. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 1917. THE CARTOON AS A WAR FACTOR

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3197, 22 September 1917, Page 6

The Dominion. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 1917. THE CARTOON AS A WAR FACTOR

It is doubtful if any one Irian has done more to advance the cause of the Allies, which is the cause of humanity, than the 'great Dutch cartoonist, LOUIS KdESIAEKEItS. At bottom this war is a conflict of ideas and ideals, a spiritual conflict, and IiAEMAEKEM is a spiritual force. He is a greater asset to the Allies than many army corps and batteries of artillery because his cartoons have set before the world as nothing else could have done the naked truth v about Gorman militarism and its 'hideous crimes against humanity. It is the- universal verdict that he has accomplished more in this direction than the most brilliant writers and orators of the Allied- and neutral nations. Germany has juldccl her voico to the- verdict by setting a price of -twelve thousand marks on tho cartoonist's head. Kaemaekeks professes himself humiliated becaus , ; tho price is so low, but it is not ou record that any spoken or written indictment of Germany has provoked a. similar retort. The genius -which has made- llabmaekeks a mighty force in the world-war is a rare compound of prophetic insight and artistic, gifts. To an extraordinary faculty for getting at the heart of things ho adcls splendid powers of graphic expression. So endowed, and faced by the greatest task and the greatest opportunity that were ever offered to a cartoonist, he has accomplished ■ marvels. All that is essentially true of the war is set o.ufc. in .the cartoons_ of Raemaekbrs with, uncompromising fidelity and with a compelling force which brings it into the compass of the simplest intelligence. Much of his work is repulsive. It could not be otherwise, for it depiois with, remorseless realism the spirit and deeds of a nation maddened and made bestial by the lust of conquest. But tho greatness l of Kaemaekeks appears' not only in his blasting indictment and exposure of German savagery, though that will stand always as his greatest achievement, but in bis treatment of the innumerable, examples of tragedy and pathos and high resolve which the war has brought to light. His own account of bis work is that he first finds out what , is happening, and then draws it, to explain it to the people all over the world, and giv-J them the whole story in one picture. "I am working to make the greatest number of people in the world understand the struggle for liberty , —not tho street man alone, nor the professor, but everybody," he adds. "I want people to know, to think, to see the war-as it is."

lb was a true perception of tho best means of advancing tho causo he has at heart that induced Raemaekers to betake himself recently to the United States. His work in America will perhaps lead to far more important results than tho visits of all the ambassadors and plenipotentaries who have gone to that country as the official representatives of the Allies. Tho American people understand and appreciate the cartoon, and the work of their native cartoonists has been developed to a high point of excellence. The work of tho master cartoonist of the war will be apt to appoal to Americans, and bring conviction to their minds whero more conventional propaganda would fail. Kaemaekeus was warmly welcomed when he reached New York, and it is stated that the occasion is probably tho first in the history of American journalism in which interviewers pounced upon a cartoonist. But ib is very clearly recognised in America, as that Raeimekers is no ordinary cartooaist, but rather an apostle in the cause of tho war to make democracy safe Ho appeared to a representative of the Now York Tribune "not as a newspaper cartoonist, not entirely as a, hard, vengeful fighter, but as a prophet as well— a Petbh the Hermit of crayon and drawing ink."- Speaking for. himself soon

after his arrival in America, E,aemaekehs said: —

When 1 thought 1 could do tho most gnod in Englaiul, 1 wont to London to try to show the people what tho war really was. They . did not realise it either. They said they vera fighting for the Belgians, for liberty; but they were really lighting for themselves. Anil 1 sin hero because America is tho centre of gravity for the war; hero is where I can do tho most guod to-day. Americans to-day believe that they aro waging vnr for "the tragedy of Belgium; they are yet merely at war for themselves. Hut do not misunderstand. Not in i-ny ot my six or seven hundred cartoons ia there a. line of distrust of the American people and of their feelings. I am only convinced that America is so far away the people doa't know what it is all about, so far as. they are concerned. The Germans have crushed Belgium— they wanted to crush I'rance, crush England, and then the whole world would be crushed for them. There are oi.ly two real things in the world to-day— awful Prussian despotism pitted against democracy and liberty for civilisation. You over hero have photographs, nioyies, and reports. I have seen vhat it is with my eyes. Six weeks I passed at the Dnglish and \Frenoh fronts under permit. I know what war means. I have talked with the mother.*, with the fathers of the warring populations. I know what they think about their girls who have been taken to Germany to work in tho fields, as the Bodies say. Work in the fields! The German officers can select their "orderlies" from the girls of Lille. I made a cartoon for the Paris "Journal" about the girls of Lillo who were dragged to Germany. The Parisian editors said it \ras too cruel. Later they eaid go ahead, it was all right—perfectly all right. I drew the picture, "Slaves of Lille," in two parts— "Beparture at Lille" and "Arrival at Germany." The French said I was , tearing open their wounds. But I had to do it.

In America, -Raejiaekees's cartoons will be published in tho Hearst papers, where, as the O.atlook caustically remarks, they ought to do valiant service as an antidote to the editorial policy of those journals. . It is a big task that Jlaemaekers has undertaken in America . but if his-past achievements afford a criterion, the living force of his cartoons will do a great deal to stir and unify the heterogenous mass which constitutes the population of the United States. The appeal of the cartoon is universal, and it is not unreasonable to believe that the efforts of the greatest living cartoonist will bring conviction and unity where, more convential ■efforts would fail. Raesiaekeks is tho more likely to succeed in his latest enterprise since his work is utterly free from any trace of narrow prejudice. He admits that there are good citizens among the GermanAmerican population, but ho adds that the Germans who migrated to America in 1848 and 1864 and immediately after the Franco-Prus-sian AVar'are "a different breed from the Prussian superman." Tho concession should smooth his path to some extent, but it is mado without weakening the dictum that modern Germany is an idea- which must bo destroyed if the world is to live at peace. "There is only one way, he says, "to reach tho modern German. Beat Hm over the head. He understands nothing else. The world must go on boating him over tho head until he says 'Enough. Otherwise tho world can never live with him."