Washington Conference Afloat

In this cartoon, the lifeboat passengers watch anxiously for submarines representing the nations negotiating the 1921 Washington Naval Treaty that regulated the size of the participating nations’ fleets. The major powers agreed to balance the number of surface ships, but failed to reach agreements limiting the number of submarines.

The boat in the cartoon bears the name of the conference and carries five figures representing the five treaty powers: Great Britain, Japan, France, Italy, and the United States. While four nations peer fearfully at the “submarine issue,” Uncle Sam faces forward confidently saying, “Don’t let it frighten us boys.” The depiction of Uncle Sam as leading the negotiations reflects America’s prominent role in post-war world affairs.

This cartoon was drawn by Clifford Berryman, one of Washington, DC's best-known cartoonists in the early to mid-1900s. Berryman drew for the Washington Post and Evening Star newspapers. His cartoons touched on a variety of subjects including politics, elections, and both World Wars.

This cartoon is featured in America and the World: Foreign Affairs in Political Cartoons, 1898–1940, a free PDF book from the Center for Legislative Archives at the National Archives.