The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-05-12
But They Didn't Mean to and
Protest, Mortified.
Money for Food and Widows
Goes for Polls "Pills."
INSULT TO INJURY oh, DEAR!
Circulars Announce Names of
Senders Engraved Thereon.
And Those Who Gave Violently
Backed Kansas Law.

Numerous Kansas club women are
wondering If their efforts in behalf
of the widows and orphans and SOL
diers of Belgium has been in vain.
They have just discovered that some
of the money raised by these women
in Kansas has gone for the purchase
of cigarets for the Belgian soldiers
Some of the women who contributed
to the fund are said to have been
most active and aggressive in the fight
for the passage of the bill which pro-
hibits cigaret smoking by kansans.
All manner of collections and con-
tributions have been received for the
Belgians by various Kansas societies
and organizations. When the food
ship went to Europe, Kansas did her
bit and sent food and supplies. Thou
sands of dollars have been donated by
Kansans to aid the Belgians. Now.
it seems, some of the supplies sent
for the Belgium troops consisted of
coffin nails. which were smoked by the
men at the front. Kansas women who
directed the campaign fer the money
which ultimately was used to buy
cigarets as well as flour and meat, are
Mortified at the items in recent con-
tributions to the men and women in
the devastated country.
Following a recent contribution for
relief of the Belgium soldiers, their
widows and orphans, a statement was
sent to some of the larger donors,
which shows in detail the use of the
fund. One of the items is for cigarets
for the soldiers. The ladies who raised
the fund were threatened with apo
pleXy.
Insult to Injury.
Then an eastern agency added in
suit to injury. A few days later cir
culars were received in a number of
Kansas towns stating that for the
small contribution of S25, a person
might send an original package of
several thousand cigarets for the Bel
GUM troopers. The package would
bear the engraved name of the donor
or donors. Enclosed would be self
addressed postcards permitting the
soldiers to express their sincere and
genuine thanks for the donation
Such impudence, The women in
charge of the campaign were shocked,
Mortified, insulted. They didn't mind
saying so, either-aItho, of course, no
one was to tell the newspapers about
it. At home the men were inclined
to laugh. All of which did not i'm
prove the feelings of the patriotic
women who had worked for large
donations-only to learn that portion
of their money was used to buy cigar
cts for the soldiers. OF course, GER
tain husbands-those chosen ones
without the fear of the species in their
hearts-tried to explain. They told
friend Wifey that the cigarets meant
more to many soldiers than an extra
meal during the nerve racking strain
of prolonged fighting on the German
front.
Worked for Law.
But the women were obdurate.
They refused to be comforted. They
had worked all winter to secure the
passage of a law which provided that
a man might go to Jail for smoking
a cigaret in Kansas. They had secur-
ed passage of a law prohibiting the
sale and giving away of cigarets. They
had written letters and instructed
their legislators and had passed res
olutions at club meetings Now their
money was being used to provide the
neat little factory made cork tips for
the fighting Belgium troops, while a
special bulletin announced that for
s25 an entire carton-enough cigarets
to carry a man thru the war-would
be sent to the soldiers at the front.