Cartoons like this were a common element of newspapers in the early twentieth century. They often use human figures to personify larger issues and entities to make complex topics relatable to readers.

This particular cartoon was published in the Chicago Tribune shortly after the end of World War I. At the time, world powers were trying to figure out how to prevent the repeat of such a costly and deadly war. One idea, put forward by President Woodrow Wilson, was the establishment of a multinational body that would resolve conflicts diplomatically before they turned violent. This body was the League of Nations.

Despite being the vision of the US president, the League of Nations was not very popular among many Americans. Both before and after the war, many people in the United States sought to avoid being drawn in to conflicts overseas. They saw the many wars between European countries as being the squabbles of overseas countries and not of their concern. Americans were worried that joining the League of Nations would bind the country too closely to Europe and cause it to become involved in more conflicts that were not its concern. This was the conclusion of the majority of the US Senate, which rejected the Treaty of Versailles and the League of Nations.

This cartoon portrays these events and sentiments. It shows a bearded man representing the United States about to be wed to a woman representing Europe. On the bride's wedding dress are the words "foreign entanglements." This is likely in reference to George Washington's own warnings against the United States forming such entangling alliances. Presiding over this wedding is the personification of the League of Nations, which would bind the United States to Europe, thus creating a situation which might draw the country into another war overseas. Just as the union is about to take place, another figure representing the Senate crashes through the window, constitutional rights in hand, to prevent the marriage.

The cartoon shows four main figures and depicts a wedding scene. The sole woman, the bride, is a heavy, unattractive woman with the words "foreign entanglements" written on her bridal gown. She represents Europe, which had just emerged from World War I.

The short preacher, who holds a prayer book called The League of Nations, represents the League, an international body that Woodrow Wilson believed would end further wars. The groom represents the United States.

The preacher asks if "any man" has cause to object to the marriage, showing that the couple is near the end of the marriage ceremony and just about to be wed. However, just at this moment, a fourth figure is crashing through a church window, representing the US Senate. He holds a scroll called Constitutional Rights, which is about to prevent the US from joining the League of Nations.

Because of the words "foreign entanglements" and the unattractiveness of the woman representing Europe, we can infer that the cartoon is celebrating the Senate's blocking of the "marriage" between the United States and Europe that the League of Nations represented. The US Congress did in fact block the US from joining the League, continuing a longstanding tradition of US isolationism that would not end until World War II.

The minister represents the process of signing the League of Nations covenant, which was developed in the Paris Peace Conference in 1919 after World War I and signed by many world powers in 1920. The bride represents foreign entanglements, and she is being wed to a groom, who represents the signatories of the League of Nations covenant. The groom is clearly sweating as he anticipates being wed to these foreign entanglements. The person breaking through the window represents the U.S. Senate, which did not want the U.S. to become part of the League of Nations, despite President Wilson's support for the organization. The Senate is bearing a document called "Constitutional Rights," which represents the reasons why the Senate would not want to sign the covenant. This document signifies that the Senate felt that signing this document would violate American rights. While this may not have been strictly true, many Senators felt that the League would draw Americans in foreign wars and conflicts, and therefore the Senate is opposing the marriage depicted in the cartoon. The U.S. did not wind up signing this covenant. 

The political cartoon, "Interrupting the Ceremony," appeared in the Chicago Tribune and is a critique on Woodrow Wilson's desire to have the United States enter the League of Nations. The League of Nations is depicted as the justice of the peace or preacher. He is attempting to wed Uncle Sam and a bride named "foreign entanglement." He is finishing the ceremony with the mandated "speak now or forever hold your peace."

The groom is good ole' Uncle Sam. He always represents the United States in political cartoons. His reluctance to marry foreign entanglements is depicted by a bead of sweat rolling down his forehead and the look of misery portrayed in his frown. The bride is foreign entanglements. "Foreign entanglements" is the idea that by entering the League of Nations, the United States would be constantly embroiled in the affairs and conflicts of other states. She seems to be perfectly content with this union.

The most important actor in this cartoon is the old grandfather bursting through the church window. He is symbolised as the U.S. Senate, who by Constitutional right, would have to bless this union. As indicated by his jumping through glass with the U.S. Constitution in hand, the Senate obviously has serious objections. History tells us that the Senate arrived in a nick of time to stop this marriage.