CARTOON - THE GREAT PEACE POSTER

Strange is continuing a common theme of his WW1 cartoons - critiquing the actions of Woodrow Wilson in his neutral stance during the war. In this cartoon it is Wilson’s role as peace mediator that is under scrutiny. Whilst advocating from the early days of the war that the USA’s neutral stance allowed the country to operate as a mediator, these efforts were even more pronounced in December 1916 and January 1917. This was a consequence of the Peace Note sent by the German Chancellor, von Bethmann-Helwegg, in December of 1916 to the US, Swiss and Spanish Ambassadors to be passed onto the Allies (see analysis of The “Waits” cartoon for more on this).
On the 22 January 1917 Wilson gave a speech to the American Senate calling for peace without victory and suggesting the establishment of a league of nations to maintain peace and justice once the war was over. The speech echoed letters sent by Wilson to the European warring nations in December 1916, asking the warring countries to outline their war aims and to accept the USA as mediators. While both sides said they ‘believed in peace’, the point of dispute was the terms under which any peace would be negotiated. The Allies wanted reparations and the removal of the Central powers from countries they had annexed (Belgium etc.) while the Central powers wanted to maintain possession of countries annexed. Neither the Allies nor the Central powers accepted Wilson’s peace overtures.
It is the disapproving presence of Uncle Sam in the background, that indicates the view of Strange that Wilson is following the wrong path, with his desire to promote peace.