The Montgomery tribune., 1906-05-04
MOST RULERS USE WEED.
Sultan Does Not, Edward Likes Oh
gars, William Cigarettss-Hob-
bies Of Others.

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Washington has been at some
pains to compile data on the smOk'
ing habits of the leading poten'
tates Of the world. From this in
teresting mass Of information it is
learned that King Edward of
Great Britain and the Austrian
emperor prefer cigars and the
kaiser of Germany and the czal
of Russia are devotees of the cigar
cite, while the sultan of Turkey
never touches tobacco, in spite of
the popular impression to the
contrary.
King Leopold of Belgium con-
tents himself with cigarette
when he is unable to lay hands
upon one of his fevorite brierwood
pipes. Even the pope smokes, so ii
is said, and is the first pontitf of the
Roman Catholic church to indulge
in cigars, his predecessors, notably
Plus TX. and Leo XIII., having con-
tented themselves with snuff.
In Abyssinia smoking in any
form is regarded as heinous
crime entailing all sorts of horri.
BILE penalties, least among which
was until a short time ago, and
probably still is, the slicing off of
the lips and nose of the offender.
With the exception of Queen
Wilhelmina of Holland, the king
of Bavaria and the sultan of Tur-
key at StambOul, every now reg
nant monarch is addicted to the
use of tobacco. Emperor William
smokes cigarettes of large size in
great numbers, made especially
for him in the suburbs of Berlin.
Despite the fact that the kaiser
is afflicted with an affection of the
larynx, his doctors make no Objec
tiOn to his using cigarettes, ap-
proving them in the light of u
wholesome sedative.
Years ago King Edward was ex
ceedingly fond of cigarettes and
smoked them in great quantities,
though of late they have been sup
planted by cigars, and nowadays
it is said he is seldom seen without
a large black Havana between his
teeth. The king has reached his
sixty-fourth year and has been an
inveterate smoker since attaining
manhood.
Emperor Francis Joseph of Aus
tria- Hungary has managed to
hold together for so years or more
the discOrdant racial elements in
Hungary and Vienna, during
which time he has been an invet.
crate smoker, his favorite form OF
the weed being those long cigars
known in Austria as Virginias,
which have a straw through them
in order to enable them to draw
and have to be held in the flame of
spirit lamp for a moment or two
before they can be lighted.
1t is said that King Charles of
Portugal smokes 40 cigars day
and has been declared to be the
most inveterate smoker of all the
"anOinted of the Lord" in the
old world.
The compiler Of the foregoing in
formation says that the influence
of tobacco upon the course of po-
litical events has been almost in.
variably of beneficial character.
"Not only have the narcotic prop.
critics tended to soothe the angry
passions of those intrusted with
the conduct of international rela-
tions, but it has also afforded them
the opportunity of thinking be-
fore they spoke and allowed time
for those second thoughts which
in diplomacy and statecraft, at any
rate, are always the best.
"People are often disposed to
make fun of the so-called pipe of
peace and to regard it as mere
form of speech originating with
the red Indians. But tobacco,
whether in the form of a cigar,
cigarette, snuff or pipe, has ever
proved a powerful and effective
aid to the maintenance Of peace
and as such it's use deserves to be
fostered and propagated by all pa
triotic and law-abiding citizens in