CARTOON - THE WAITS CHRISTMAS 1916

Ben Strange was a prominent political cartoonist in Western Australia who worked for the Western Mail from 1898 to 1930. This original hand drawn cartoon, by Ben Strange, was first published in the Western Mail on 22 Decmber 1916.
The cartoon is an ironic take on the peace overtures made by the German Chancellor Von Bethman-Hollweg towards the Allies in December 1916. The musicians are the 4 leaders of the Central Powers, (L-R) Mehmed V (1844-1918) Ottoman Empire, King Ferdinand of Bulgaria (1861-1948), Charles I Austria/Charles IV of Hungary (1887-1922) Austro-Hungarian Empire and Kaiser Wilhelm II (1859-1941) German Empire.
On the 12 December 1916, a message was sent from the German Chancellor , Von Bethmann-Hellwegg, to American, Spanish and Swiss Ambassadors(all these nations were neutral at this time), asking them to transmit a note to the Allied powers suggesting that peace negotiations be started. Similar notes were also sent by the Governments in Vienna, Constantinople and Sofia to these neutral powers. The basic premise of the note was that while Germany had the capacity to keep fighting, conscious of the terrible losses brought by the war, it was now time to enter into peace talks. The note follows the line that the war had been ‘forced upon us’, and that ‘If, in spite of this offer of peace and reconciliation, the struggle should go on, the four allied powers are resolved to continue to a victorious end, but they solemnly disclaim responsibility for this before 
humanity and history.’
The response from the Allied Nations was that this was a bluff on the part of the Central Power and that Germany was responsible for the War. Ending the war without the Central nations returning annexed lands in Belgium, Poland and Serbia and without reparations for the damage inflicted would ensure further warfare.
Depicting the 4 leaders of the Central Alliance as advocates of peace, is ironic as the general consensus in Australia, of course, was that Germany and its allies were responsible for the destruction brought about by the war. So, the image is meant to show the irony of those playing for peace surrounded by the destruction which they had wrought.