1940.10.28 "Up and At Him!" by Max P. Milians

1940.10.28 “Up and At Him!"
by Max P. Milians (1907-2005)
11 x 14 in., ink of board
Coppola Collection

Milians signed his cartoons with nine zeros (“millions”) as an underline. His work was syndicated across America from the 1930s up until the 1970s.

Dramatic economic recovery is fueled by taxpayer dollars. In late 1940, there was a growing tension between the cost of defense spending and public willingness to pay for it, which still played out in the fall elections.

The Revenue Act of 1940 (June 25) raised income taxes, corporate, and excise taxes

“Roosevelt Signs $1 Billion Tax Bill to Fund Defense” — NYT, June 26, 1940

“Where Will It End? Public Wonders as Defense Budget Soars” — Chicago Tribune, Oct 15, 1940

“Taxpayers Urged to Prepare for Sacrifice” — Detroit Free Press, Oct 22, 1940

“New Tax Bill May Hit 6 Million Americans” — Washington Post, Oct 28, 1940