A song accompanies the cartoon:

‘We don’t want you to fight,

  but by jingo if you do,
  We will probably issue a joint memorandum
  Suggesting a mild disapproval of you.’  

In this cartoon of 1935 in the British

magazine Punch, Britain and France
condemn Mussolini’s invasion of
Abyssinia, but all they threaten is a
memorandum suggesting a mild
disapproval.  
What is the message of this cartoon?
 To do this question, you
need first to borrow two
concepts from English:

Denotation
(what you see)
A song accompanies the cartoon:
‘We don’t want you to fight, Connotation
  but by jingo if you do,
  We will probably issue a joint memorandum (how it affects its audience)
  Suggesting a mild disapproval of you.’  

In this cartoon of 1935 in the British

magazine Punch, Britain and France
condemn Mussolini’s invasion of
Abyssinia, but all they threaten is a
memorandum suggesting a mild
disapproval.  
 Denotation
Mussolini is holding a paper
saying ‘Abyssinian Dispute’.

Connotation
‘Holding’ = wanting to acquire.
A song accompanies the cartoon:
‘We don’t want you to fight,
  but by jingo if you do,
  We will probably issue a joint memorandum
  Suggesting a mild disapproval of you.’   Meaning
Italy has invaded Abyssinia.

In this cartoon of 1935 in the British

magazine Punch, Britain and France
condemn Mussolini’s invasion of
Abyssinia, but all they threaten is a
memorandum suggesting a mild
disapproval.  
 Denotation
Figures representing France and
Britain wag a finger at Mussolini.

Connotation
Wagging a finger represents
A song accompanies the cartoon: condemnation.
‘We don’t want you to fight,
  but by jingo if you do,
  We will probably issue a joint memorandum
  Suggesting a mild disapproval of you.’   Meaning
Mussolini is behaving badly,
and the League condemns him.

In this cartoon of 1935 in the British

magazine Punch, Britain and France
condemn Mussolini’s invasion of
Abyssinia, but all they threaten is a
memorandum suggesting a mild
disapproval.  
 Denotation
All they are threatening in their song
is issuing a worthless memorandum.

Connotation
The reprimand is worse than
A song accompanies the cartoon: useless – Britain and France
‘We don’t want you to fight, appear scared of Mussolini.
  but by jingo if you do,
  We will probably issue a joint memorandum
  Suggesting a mild disapproval of you.’   Meaning
The League is not taking
effective action.

In this cartoon of 1935 in the British

magazine Punch, Britain and France
condemn Mussolini’s invasion of
Abyssinia, but all they threaten is a
memorandum suggesting a mild
disapproval.  
 Denotation
The song threatens only ‘a joint
memorandum’ and ‘mild
disapproval’.

Connotation
The 19th century song it parodies
A song accompanies the cartoon: threatened war: ‘We've got the
‘We don’t want you to fight, ships, we've got the men, we've
  but by jingo if you do, got the money too'.
  We will probably issue a joint memorandum
  Suggesting a mild disapproval of you.’   Meaning
Britain is a pale shadow of the
world power it used to be.

In this cartoon of 1935 in the British

magazine Punch, Britain and France
condemn Mussolini’s invasion of
Abyssinia, but all they threaten is a
memorandum suggesting a mild
disapproval.  
 Denotation
Britain and France are dressed as if
for a Music Hall show.

Connotation
Music Hall – amusing, but trivial
A song accompanies the cartoon: and ridiculous.
‘We don’t want you to fight,
  but by jingo if you do,
  We will probably issue a joint memorandum
  Suggesting a mild disapproval of you.’   Meaning
Britain and France have
reduced the League to a farce.

In this cartoon of 1935 in the British

magazine Punch, Britain and France
condemn Mussolini’s invasion of
Abyssinia, but all they threaten is a
memorandum suggesting a mild
disapproval.  
 Finally, always remember
to look at:

Origin
(who drew it)

A song accompanies the cartoon: Date

‘We don’t want you to fight, (when it was published)
  but by jingo if you do,
  We will probably issue a joint memorandum
  Suggesting a mild disapproval of you.’  

In this cartoon of 1935 in the British

magazine Punch, Britain and France
condemn Mussolini’s invasion of
Abyssinia, but all they threaten is a
memorandum suggesting a mild
disapproval.  
 Origin
The British magazine Punch.

Details
A British humorous/political
magazine.
A song accompanies the cartoon:
‘We don’t want you to fight,
  but by jingo if you do,
Significance
  We will probably issue a joint memorandum The cartoon echoes the British
  Suggesting a mild disapproval of you.’   public’s growing despair at the
League’s failure to take action
against aggressor nations.

In this cartoon of 1935 in the British

magazine Punch, Britain and France
condemn Mussolini’s invasion of
Abyssinia, but all they threaten is a
memorandum suggesting a mild
disapproval.  
 Date
1935.

Details
At the start of the crisis.

A song accompanies the cartoon:

‘We don’t want you to fight,
  but by jingo if you do,
Significance
  We will probably issue a joint memorandum The cartoon forecasts the
  Suggesting a mild disapproval of you.’   League’s failure – people had
already lost faith in the League.

In this cartoon of 1935 in the British

magazine Punch, Britain and France
condemn Mussolini’s invasion of
Abyssinia, but all they threaten is a
memorandum suggesting a mild
disapproval.