A LOSS._Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 152, April 4, 1917

For many reasons the passing of the poster is to be welcomed. For one

thing, it robbed the papers themselves of that element of surprise which is

one of life's few spices; for another, it added to life's many complexities

by forcing the reader into a hunt through the columns which often ended in

disappointment: in other words the poster's promise was not seldom greater

than the paper's performance. Then, again, it was often offensive, as when

it called for the impeachment of an effete "old gang," many of whose

members had joined the perfect new; or redundant, as when it demanded

twenty ropes where one would have sufficed.

But, even although the streets may be said to have been sweetened by the

absence of posters, days will come, it must be remembered, when we shall

badly miss them. It goes painfully to one's heart to think that the

embargo, if it is ever lifted, will not be lifted in time for most of the

events which we all most desire, events that clamour to be recorded in the

large black type that for so many years Londoners have associated with

fatefulness. Such as ("reading from left to right"):--

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| OF | | FRENCH | | THE | | CROWN |

| | | | | | | |

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| | | | | | | |

| NEARING | | FRENCH | | IN | | OF |

| | | | | | | |

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| | | |

| THE | | |

| KAISER | | |

| A | | VICTORY! |

| CAPTIVE. | | |

| | | |

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And Finally--

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| AMERICA | | |

| DECLARES | | PEACE! |

| WAR. | | |

| | | |

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It will be hard to lose these.

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