The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1914-11-26
FORD HITS CIGARETTES.

/ Henry FORD, Th0maS A. Edison and
John Burroughs happened to be to-
gether in Florida, and the converse
ton turned on cigarettes. The three
expressed themselves as ultimately
opposed to this form of tobacco smok-
ing. Mr.. Edison contributed to the
discussion discovery that he made
while searching for material for cleo
trio lamp filaments. The gist of ii
was given to Mr.. Ford later in the
following letter:
"The injurious agent in cigarettes
comes principally from the burning
paper wrapper. The substance formed
thereby is called 'acrolein.' 1t has a
violent action on the nerves, produc
ing degeneration of the cells of the
brain. which is quite rapid among the
boys. Unlike most narcotics, this de-
generation is permanent and uncon-
trollable. l employ no person who
smokes cigarettes"
Cigarettes had been attacked pre-
viously on other grounds. The first
attack was against nicotine. Then
came the charge that inLa;ing in
creased the absorption of nicotine
Then. we believe, the blame VAS laid
upon the carbon monoxide of incoln-
plete combustion. Mr.. Edison was not
the first to attack the paper wrapper,
but the answer has been that the OBJ
lection had been overcome through the
adoption of refined rice paper. Mr..
Edison's views will carry weight beth
as chemist and as an employer of
men and boys with long opportunity
for observation. Mr.. Ford is in the
same position. There is an army of
other employers who share their OBJ
jections to cigarette smoking. Cigar
cites are barred from an enormous
number of offices. This fact should
be weighty argument against ac-
quiring or continuing the habit of
smoking them. The boy that smokes
cigarettes stands in the way Of his
own preferment, whether they hurt
him or not.
DR.. Harvey w. Wiley is quoted By
Mr.. Ford as heartily supporting the
crusade. Another opinion quoted BY
Mr.. Ford, in the booklet he is sen",'rs
out, will possibly carry greater weight
with many boys. 1t is the view of
Grantland Rice, well knowo sport
ing editor. Here is what he says.
For the last eighteen years have
been either playing or covering for
newspapers all different fo-Ils of
sports and competition. 10 thls way
my observation has been from close
range-close enough to deve.op facts
and not mere theories.
Smoking by the young brings a
double burdn to carry-,a bar len in
both physical and { mental way. I
have noticed that those who do NOT
smoke, who keeps in clan i: not OK
actly strict training, have far MOI e
energy, much greater stamina, much
better control of their nerves. and
they also appear to deyeion a much
keener knack at picking up gam.
I'm addition to this have found
that they think QUICKER Gnu better.
Under rs years of age thy are de-
veloping both physicaily anG mentally
and IL this development is hamper ed
by smoking the loss cal hardly be
made up later on.
'The young in sport make up for
their lack of experience by ncrvo is
energy and Vitality. Smo:>ng Cats in
heavily upon both, wearing away the
reserve force which youth needs. A
cigarette smoker would have hit little
chance in any red-bloocei COMPETE
ton against one who stack to train
ing. He would have neither the speed
for the short sprint nor the stamina
for the long race. II am wrong in
this the statistics of Is years are
wrong, and records and results mean
nothing"
Most boys have love of sport and
admire those who win the battles of
the gridiron and the diamond. Per-
haps they do not always know that
no trainer ever allows the use of |
cigarettes. No young man can use ci-
garettes and go into any kind of ath-
letic contset with the prospect of do
ing credit to himself and his side.
Judge Ben B. Lindsey, of Denver,
one of the best friends boys have. is
convinced that cigarettes do much
harm.
He says this:
"one Of the very worst habits of
boyhood is the cigarette habit. This !.
has long been recognized by all the