1941.08.21 “Unless it gets Thicker”
by Ralph Lee (1906-1947)
22 x 14 in., ink on board
Coppola Collection
Ralph Lee was an editorial cartoonist for the Portland Oregonian. He died suddenly, at 41, in January 1947. His cousin, Art Bimrose, was the editorial cartoonist for the Oregonian for more than three decades. In 1937, the Oregonian hired him part-time to work on printing plates. Following Lee’s death, Bimrose was hired as the Sunday editorial cartoonist.
The Selective Training and Service Act of 1940 had established a peacetime draft, but
the service period was initially set at 12 months. During August 1941, Congress was debating an extension of the time period. In a companion cartoon dated August 16, the same motif had the pilot and Uncle Sam flying over the clearing of “One Year Service” and needing to move on due to the storm.
Three days before this cartoon, on August 18, 1941, Congress extended the service of most Army personnel by 18 months through the Service Extension Act of 1941. This extension was a result of the growing public concern over the military buildup and the potential for prolonged service of 30 months.
A sketch for this follow-up cartoon, using the exact same motif and scheduled for August 21, appears in the lower margin of the August 16 cartoon. That predecessor cartoon is also in the collection.
Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, 4 months later, Congress further extended military duty for the duration of the war. Enforcement was carried out by the Treasury Department.
