New-York tribune., 1918-05-11
War Pictures
History
History in Cartoons, and
Graphic Scenes

IA nEMAEkERS' CARTOON HISTORY of ,.rr
Syo In e0'npi,ed 9oa M by J, Murray Allison Vol /.
IN 1MrhHC.E FrFh;HNNEIALS PICTURES OF WAR WORK
,sn nS tho artist Folio. Tie j. y. Lppncott Com.
i'iS Ho.s wESrERN Wh FRoNr Drawings by suirne.a
Company. Ing "sof.c H. Doran
"hat John Tenniel did for various
phases of British history during MANY
years IN the pages of "Punch," Louis
~ Mae"aekers is doing for the great war.
ne is recording its history in cartoons
some Of these are representations of
actual occurrences, while others. the
ereat majority. are imaginative and
categorical; but all are instinct with
OBVIOUS and convincing truth. Their
graphic skill is superb, their dramatic
power IS overwhelming and their range
OF spirit is universal. There is no pas
SION, no emotion, upon which thew do
not masterfully play. Take. for ex-
ample, three successive plates, taken
at random in the middle Of the volume,
one-the devil telephoning to Potsdam
u, 10 ask the Kaiser if he has thanked
his dear old God" for his latest sue
cess-ls marvel of sardonic irony.
bitingly bitter; the next-"All Is Quiet
in Belgium"--is unspeakably pathetic:
and the third-"Gott strafe England!
or vii! do it myself" is paradox
,cally both unctuous and caustic in
Its portrayal of Germany running
amuck: There will be written many
histories OF the war, and some OF
them VIII be very good; but one of
me very best. the truest, the most
Illuminating, will be that given in the
marvellous cartoons of this Dutch
genius.
The work that is behind the war. and
That makes the waging of the war pos
sible, is Mr.. Pennell's congenial theme.
For years he has been studying with
an artists eye the workshops of the
he gave US a notable portfolio of draw
ings of the munitions factories, the
shipyards and the other war works Of
England; and now he does the same
for the military industrialism of Amer
lea. We should hesitate ourselves to
think our own war works superior to
or even the equal of those Of England.
But they seem to have inspired Mr..
Pennell more highly than the others,
and to have brought from his pencil
better results-which is saying a great
deal. Indeed, we can recall no other
work of the kind from his hand that
is quite the equal Of these exquisite
drawings, admirable in conception, in
composition and in execution as works
of graphic art and unspeakably inspir-
ing in their Interpretation of the Great
i've energy Of great people applied
to great unde ertaking.
The third member of this remarkable
trilogy depicts in a hundred plates
and this is only the first volume of
scries-scenes Of actual warfare on
land and in air and sea, and the de-
struction that the war has wrought in
ravaged lands. Mr.. Bone, too, has en-
tered into the spirit Of his theme with
fine sympathy and with dramatic
power; and the result is portrayal no
less accurate in detail and far more
significant in its revelations than it
would be possible for the Photographic
camera to effect. The engravers and
printers have done their part, too, with
exceptional skill and taste, and the
work is thus, as whole, one greatly
to be desired and highly to be priced,