The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1914-10-08
THE tiAsdN LETTER
HOW THE. WAR AFFECTS Us.
AS to Tobacco Affairs.
BY FrederickJ ]. HaskIn.

I'LL no ~ ~
BY Frederic
AS the original seat OF the indus.
try which now has the entire worlc
lin its thrall. America has LITTLE
cause to worry lest the war serious
B " affect its supplies of tobacco. !
4 promises, however. to have some
II yer interesting influences upon tht
h trade. There will be q number o.
H varieties of fancy-biend cigarettes
h which Will run out Of stock II tn "a.
iwar continues long. There. also, VIII
ibe dearth of Parts-monogramed
H cigarettes, of various smokers &C
cessories of German manufacture
and. possibly. higher prices gener-
Ially in consequence of our govern
H ment's war tax The war tax
blooms largest in the eyes of our mao
l ufacturers of and dealers in tobacco,
| though the most important outcome
| may well be greatly stimulated
\ American tobacco export.
/ Smokers will not cease to smoke
/ on account of the war. The armies
iof the worlds tobacco-users viii
give up sugar in their coffee, con-
\ tent themselves with meat sonce
month. forego poker and roulette.
\ remain companionable on one meal
day and healthy without drugs,
give lp their cheerful dresides loI
Iwater-soggy trenches and do without
all present-day comforts with the e1-
ception of tobacco. In other WORDS,
the consumption of cigars and pipe
tobaccos and cigarettes by Gera ans
French. Austrians, Russians ana
English is likely to remain about the
same despite the war While TINS
may have but little effect upon
American tobacco culture, the man
ufacturers of tobacco are LOOKING
forward to a significant increase IN
their business. The countries now
at war will be forced more ana more
to utilize all their available LABOR
In the production of strict necessi.
ties. Their tobacco manufacture VIII
he one of their industries to suffer.
It is already reported that German
tobacco factories are decreasing
their outputs and operating solely
with women and children employees
But whether they manufacture or
not the men and many OF the women
of Europe will continue to smoke.
American manufacturers UNDER
stand this and one OF them has e4-
pressed the belief that this country
will work "a great part of the world
tobacco crop next year If the war Is
in support of their theoery that the
world Will go calmly on It's nicotine
way, the following urgent d1spatcn
which the Crown Prince of Germany
sent the other day from his encamp-
ment to Berlin newspaper: Please
collect great quantities OF tobacco
and cigars for the men OF my army
and get them here as quickly as pos
sible."
All of the contending govern.
ments are making every effort to
keep their soldiers in supply of to-
bacco. These same governments are
equally agreed In their orders con-
corning alcoholic drinks. Great
Britain has forbidden that any al
coholic drinks be sent to her troops.
The Russian government has sus-
pended the sale Of its own monopoly
produced Vodka. The French have
eliminated absinthe. The German
also. has issued orders
that its soldiers are not to be FUR
nished beer or other alcoholic bev-
erages.
The old theory was that whiskey
warmed mems courage and made
them better fighters. In those days,
the canteeen was a part of the "mu-
nitions of war" Modern warfare is
scientific; requires less of whiskeyI
courage, gone mad and more OF
steady nerves. The old theory held,
also, that tobacco made men gentle.
and so, was a soldiers vice where
drink was a soldiers virtue. The
governments of warning nations
apparently consider that tobacco.
for such as use it, is a means for
easing the terrible strain
of modern warfare. The British war
department has issued request
that presents to the soldiers at the
front should take the form of to-
bacco.
An important part OF this coun-
try's, wealth is produced by its to-
bacfo industry. In both customs
and Internal revenue, the tobacco
industry pays the United States gov
eminent more than 100000 900
year, OF which $76,789,424 was de-
rived in 1913 as internal revenue:
For the past fifty years, it has con-
tributed toward the expenses of the
federal government the enormous
sum OF 81 1853. 699.379. Therefore,
such unusual prosperity as the war
may cause this branch to contribute
to the general boom
toward which the country is conf
IDENTIFY going.
United states exports of tobacco
are normally heavy. The exports OF
cigars for the eleven months end
ed May 1914, amounted to 1.541. 600
and for the corresponding period in
1918, to 1,995,0O0. The exports OF
leaf tobacco for the eleven months !
endede May. 1914, amounted to
pounds. an increase OF
23, 277.4OS pounds over the export
for the corresponding period in
1918. Our export of cigarettes for
the eleven months endee May 1914
to 1903, $4,000 or an in
crease Of 5S3 $4,000 over the ex-
port for the corresponding period OF
the year before. The exports of Gig