Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1915-03-10
BOTH FORD AND EDISON
CONDEMN CIGARETTES

Booklets entitled, THE Case Against
the Little White SLAYER" have recent
~ been received by Supt Osborne as
compliments Of Henry Ford.
Mr.. Edison and Mr.. Ford have writ
ten opinions against the use of the
cigarette, and Mr.. Percival Hin, presi-
dent Of the American Tobacco Co. is
not of the same opinion, as is evident
by the letter he writes to Mr.. Ford
Mr. Edison says: IF you will study
the history of almost any criminal you
will find that ne is an inveterate
cigarette smoker. Boys, through
cigarettes. train with bad company
They go with other smokers to the
pool rooms and saloons. The cigarette
drags them down. Hence If we can
educate them to the dangers of smok-
ing we will perform "A service"
In Mr. Hills defense we find this
The statements relative to cigarettes
credited to yourself and Mr.. Edison
are erroneous and so misleading to
the millions of intelligent men who
use them that we are compelled to
resent your unjustitied attack.
Every investigation, made by
scientists. results in exactly the same
finding, viz: that the cigarette is alb
soiutely pure; that il contains less
nicotine than any other form of tobac-
co products; that the combination of
the paper is harmless in its effect on
human physiology; that its temperate
use is in no way injurious to normal
users; that this must be true is proven
by the large number and types of men
who use cigarettes viz: doctors, law
yers bankers, etc.
Mr.. Ford's reply to Mr.. Hill by his
secretary brings out these facts: that
cigarette smoking is injurious. even
TO adults, is evident from Mr. Hill's
letter which defends the cigarette If
used only To a temperate extent by
normal users, if, as his letter indicates,
scientists and others have thus far
failed to find injurious elements in
cigarettes, then he must laud Mr.. Edi-
son for being the first man to find the
reason for the degenerative effect OF
cigarette smoking"
AS a principal Of Eastern High
School, Detroit, Mr.. ]. Remsen Bish-
op has each year had under him
hundreds Of youths who were at the
formative stage Here is how he re-
CARDS cigarette smoking: Experience
of many years, chiefly with boys be-
tween the ages of thirteen and nine
teen, has persuaded me that Of all the
agencies which make for non-success
in high school work the cigarette evil
is the most serious with which We
have TO deal"
DIR. ID. II. Kress says The cigarette
strikes direct blow at the most vital
organ OF the body. 1t weakens the
heart action. For this reason il is diff
ficult for the cigarette addict to engage
i'm athletics. He finds he is easily
winded and is lacking in endurance.
lie soon loses all ambition"
Several of my young acquaintance
are in their graves who gave promise
of making useful citizens" declares
Luther Burbank the wizard of plant
and vegetable kingdom. and there is
no question whatever that cigarettes
alone were the cause of their destruc-
ton. No boy living would commence
the use of cigarettes If he knew what
a useless, soulless, worthless thing they
would make Of him"
There was never "A greater demand
for clean moral men in the business
world. Think of some or even mill
lions of young men making themselves
slaves To this filthy habit"
The moral standing of no boy in
Belding high school will be lowered
by reading the little booklet, entitled
The Little White SLAYER" which was
handed TO him last week. He may
profit by listening to and needing the
warnings of men OF greater experience
than himself.