Evening star., 1914-10-08
How the War Affects Us.
XLW.-As to Tobacco
Affairs.
BY Frederic ]. Haskin.


which now has the entire world in its
thran. America has little cause to
worry lest the war seriously affect its
supplies of tobacco. 1t promises. how
ever. to have some very interesting
influence upon the trade. There will
be a number of varieties of fancy
blend cigarettes which will run out of
stock if the war continues long. There.
also, will be a dearth of Paris-mono-
grained cigarettes, of various smokers
accessories of German manufacture.
and, possibly. higher prices generally
N consequence of our governments
war tax" The war tax" looms 1arg-
est in the eyes of our manufacturers
of and dealers in tobaccos. though the
most important outcome may well be
a greatly stimulated American tobacco
export.
Smokers will not cease to smoke on
account of the war The armies of
the worlds tobacco users Will give up
sugar in their coffee. content them
go poker and roulette, remain COM
panionable on one meal a day and
healthy without drugs, give up their
cheerful firesides for water-soggy
day comforts with the exception of to-
bacco. In other words, the consump-
tion of cigars and pipe tobaccos and
Cigarettes by Germaps, French, Aus
1rians Russians and English is likely
o remain about the same despite the
war While this may have but little ef-
rect upon American tobacco culture, the
manufacturers of tobacco are looking
forward to significant increase IN
their business. The countries now at
war will be forced more and more to
utilize all their available labor IN the
production of strict necessities. Ihelr
tobacco manufacture will be one OF
tbeir industries to suffer. 1t is already
reported that German tobacco factories
are decreasing their outputs ana op-
Grating solely with women ana chll-
dren employees
But whether they manufacture or no,
the men and many of the women OF
Europe will
America to Supply continue to
Most of the Stock. can manufac
tuners understand this and one of them
has expressed the belief that this coun-
try will work a great part of the
worlds tobacco crop next year If the
war is still in progress. Tobacco men
offer in support of their theory that
the world will go calmly on its nfco-
tinic way, the following urgent dis
patch which the Crown Prince of Ger
many sent the other day from his en-
campment to Berlin newspaper:
Please collect great quantities of to-
bacco and cigars for the men of my
army and get them here as quickly
as possible
ALL of the contending governments
are making every effort to keep their
soldiers in supply Of tobacco. These
same governments are equally agreed
in their orders concerning alcoholic
drinks. Great Britain has forbidden
that any alcoholic drinks be sent to
her troops. The Russian government
has suspended the sale of its own
monopoly-produced vodka The French
man government, also. has issued or
ders that its soldiers are not to be
furnished beer or other alcoholic bev-
erages.
The old theory was that whisky
warmed mans courage and made them
better fighters. In those days the
canteen was part of the munitions
of war" Modern warfare is scientific;
mad and more steady nerves. The old
theory held, also. that tobacco made
men gentle, and, SO. was soldiers
vice. where drink was soldiers viz
tue. The governments Of the warning
nations apparently consider that to-
bacco. for such as use It, is means
for mercifully easing the terrible
strain of modern warfare. The Brit
ish war department has issued re-
quest that presents to the soldiers at
the front should take the form of to-
bacco.
An important part of this country's
wealth is produced by its tobacco In
dustry. In both