Content note: Racial caricature of a Japanese soldier (exaggerated teeth and glasses) and mock pidgin speech, shown as printed. This object is shown as it was published. Why
Bust up their ACT!
Cartoon in which a helmeted worker swings a club labelled 'More Metal Now!' over two seated figures: a caricature of Hitler in uniform and a caricature of a Japanese soldier with exaggerated teeth and glasses. The caricatures speak in mock pidgin ('Hon. Democracy gone soft... so sorry!'), ridiculing the enemy leaders to urge scrap-metal collection.
Propaganda techniques used in this poster
- Date
- 1943
- Period
- Second World War
- Made by
- U.S. Army (art: Rollin Kirby)
- Region
- North America
- Country
- United States
- Medium
- Poster
- Issuer type
- Military
- Regime
- Roosevelt Administration
- Leader
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Audience
- Domestic public
- Purpose
- Mobilize or secure compliance
- Themes
- Home front, War and the military, Race and ethnicity
- Event
- World War II
- Regime
- Roosevelt administration
- Leader
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Source
- Identified Openly sourced: the speaker is who they say they are
- Source
- U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, Record Group 44, World War II Posters, retrieved October 4, 2026
- Rights
- Public domain (U.S. government work)
U.S. Army. National Archives and Records Administration, RG 44, 44-PA-509 (NAID 513989).
Text on the object
Bust up their ACT ! MORE METAL NOW! HON. DEMOCRACY GONE SOFT.. CANNOT PRODUCE UNTIL TOO LATE..SO SORRY ! [imprint:] U. S. ARMY [signature:] ROLLIN KIRBY [imprint:] U. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : 1943 O - 522889
