The Washington times., 1917-08-25
MONEY BEGINS TO
SWELL SOLDIERS
FUND FOR SMOKES
(contlnued from Page one.l

CONTINUED from Page One.h
spent for anything but smokes for the
soldiers. Arrangements made by The
Washington Times tobacco fund guar
antee that. Even the transportation
costs will be eliminated and neither
the soldier nor the donor will have
to pay a single cent for shipping.
This newspaper intends to make
the delivery of smokes to American
soldiers abroad an Institution which
will continue throughout the war and
give solace and Joy to our boys on the
European battlefields.
To put The washington Times To-
bacco Fund on a firm. solid basis. sew
eral difficult problems had to be
solved.
Waived Import Regulations
One of the most important. In fact.
the most important, was to buy for
each quarter of the contributors
money the greatest possible quantity
Of good tobacco. 1t not only had to
be good tobacco. but popular brands
with which the soldiers are familiar,
the kind they smoke at home.
This problem was solved by the lib
eral cooperation of the American
Tobacco Company. which has agreed
to supply practically double the guam
tity of tobacco which q quarter ugual-
iy buys.
A second problem to be solved was
the virtual embargo by France on I'M
ported tobacco. The unanimous testi-
mony of all who have had experience
with European tobacco Il that, by
American standard, II is poor stuff,
which the American soldiers would
not like. The cry OF all Americans in
France has been for familiar and
standard brands OF tobacco and cigar
cites put up in this country. The
French regulations, however, pro-
hibited importation OF American to-
bacco.
Representatives of the Washington
Times Tobacco Fund got busy in
diplomatic channels. however, and
finally the French government waived
Its regulations and agreed to permit
the shipment OF the tobacco pur-
chased with WAshingtonians' contri-
buttons to be shipped into France
without the payment OF duty or tax
OF any kind and without any hind
rance.
The only stipulation is that the to-
bacco is to be shipped in bond and
guarantees given that It Is to be dis
tributed free to the American soldiers
and not sold
Held Essential War Supply.
The question of transportation was
also a difficult one to solve. with the
Government Communicating practical
ly eSrrs vessel and with cargo space
being limited to absolutely essential
| articles OF war room for boxes Is At
a premium. But military authorities
ruled, however, that tobacco is an es-
| sential article of war and virtually .
military necessity.
And so II was arranged through
Government agencies that the tobacco
is to be sent as supplies in such q way
that the soldier at the front IL not
| charged anything for transportation,
| but Is to receive his As cents worth
/ OF tobacco for each quarter contrib
uted here.
Postmaster General Burleson fur
nlshed the solution to the problem OF
getting acknowledgements from the
soldiers after they received the to-
bacco gifts. He evolved the idea OF
placing in each packet OF tobacco q
postal card addressed to the donor.
All the soldier will have to do will
be TO write his thanks on the card
and mail It. His gratitude and ap-
probation will be such that he may
be depended upon to mail the card
back promptly. There will be no
charge for transporting the postal
card from the battlefield to this coun-
try. but the postal laws require q
charge OF / cent for delivering.
Hand Across the Sea-
II you have read all OF the forego-
| ing and read in yesterdays Times
about the starting OF The Washington
Times tobacco fund, you know all
about II, and have q clear understand
ing as to why the fund was started
and its aims and objects.
With that understanding you most
certainly are going to contribute at
/ least one or two quarters to this
worthy fund. No doubt you bought g
Liberty bond and contributed your
share to the Red Cross, but The
Washington Times tobacco fund gives
you an opportunity to extend your
hand across the sea, and get into per
! sonal and intimate touch with Amer
ican soldiers abroad.
Following are some of the letters
received with contributions today:
IncIosed please nnd 20 cents,
which am sending you to add to
your tobacco fund. do not know
OF any one "over there" but II
you know OF some nice fellow
who would like to correspond
with a little girl Just send him q
card with my name and address
on II, and bet he won't be lone
some for news from home. I will
send you IS cents each week, but
please don't publish my name in
the paper. II you care 10 pub
lish this letter you may, but not
| my name.
Hoping you may receive many,
many more quarters, I am
! Sincerely, G. G.
Inclosed hnd check for IS.