Thursday Boer War Cartoon

This is one of the few British cartoons I’ve found which seems even a little critical of the Boer War. It’s Edward Linley Sambourne again and it appeared in Punch on April 24, 1901.

 

We see Master John Bull, standing in frustration next to what appears to be a very ornate vending machine, presumably like an Edwardian chocolate vending machine. The machine has S. African War on the top, and the word Peace. Young John Bull seems frustrated. The title is PAY! PAY! PAY! and beneath it the caption says “MASTER JOHN BULL”I’VE PUT A LOT OF PENNIES INTO THIS MACHINE AND I HAVEN’T GOT ANYTHING OUT. BUT” (with determination) “I’M GOING ON TILL I DO!” (In consequence of the South African war expenditure Master JOHN BULL has to meet a deficit of fifty five millions.)

This reflects that although Lord Roberts had annexed the two Boer republics the previous year and declared the war won, the Boers had fought on and were still fighting when this cartoon was published. On the one hand it is showing Britain’s determination to fight to a successful conclusion whatever the cost, but on the other hand there’s a clear criticism here. The War is compared to a chocolate machine that does not provide the chocolate that John Bull has paid for. The war, by implication, has not provided what Britain promised itself, despite the huge amount of resources poured into it.

It’s one of my favourite Linley Sambourne cartoons, in fact one of my favourite British cartoons of the Boer War. It can be very hard to find any British cartoon that is at all critical. It can also be very hard to find a Boer War cartoon from any other country that is not.