The Washington times., 1917-03-21
new SUPERSTITIONS
ORIGINATEDBY WAR
UnIucky to Light Three Cigar
cites or Cigars With a Single
Match Is One.

PARIS, March 21.-The stationary
character of the war has allowed a
number of legends and superstit 'ons
to be born and spread, some OF which
can be traced and explained. while
others remain obscure. The story of
the Mons angels" last year proved
to have arisen from a newspaper
story in which the vision was de
scribed but not as an account Of n
fact.
The superstition that declares that
Il is unlucky to light three cigarettes
or cigars with a single match has be-
come very widespread. Guillaume
Apollinaire, the poet in writing about
IL in the current number of the Mer-
cure de France says that II has been
introduced into France, by the Eng
lish army, although the present writer
first met with il in France long be-
fore the war, but had never heard OF
II in England.
Apollinaire tells how he was in
.vited to mess with a friend, Second
Lieut. Francois v, how this super
stition was discussed and laughed at
by all present except himself and
Francois v, and how rancois
N-hAppened to be the third to light
his ci. arctic with the same match.
Thrifty Soldier Is Killed.
The morning after Francois v
was killed five or six miles from the
front lines by a German shell. 1t
appears that the superstition is that
the death il always of this nature, as
ApoIlinaire quotes a captain of a
mixed tirailleur and zouave regiment
as saying:
ct is not so much the death that
follows. as death no longer is dre1d
TO any one, but it has been noticed
that il is always useless form oil
death. 4 shell splinter in the trenches
or at rest in the rear, which has
nothing heroic about it, If there Is
anything in this war which is not
heroic"
To dream of an autobus has be-
come a token of death. Apollinaire
has found this superstition in four
different regiments and gives story
of a sergeant who succeeded in avert
ing the omen in the case OF cor
poral who said he had dreamed OF
an Rutobus. How can that be" the
sergeant asked, when you have new
er been to Paris or seen an autobusE
Ire corporal described the vision
THAT an autobusr declared the SER
geant. "why that's one of those new
machines that the English are using
Don't let that worry you!
A regiment from the south has the
same belief about an automobile
lorry instead of an autobus and can
quote many examples of the truth OF
such dreams.
Gold coins are a mascot in the
front lines. a superstition not dill
cult to explain. 1t was at first be-
lieved that wounded men on whom
some gold was found would be bet
ter looked after by those who found
them, and by degrees the belief grew
up, especially among artillery, that
a gold coin was a talisman agalNst
being mutiIiated IL they were taken
prisoners whether wounded or not
Battery Had $1,000 I'm Gold.
ApoIlinaire knew of a certain bat
terry which in May. 1915, had some
$1,000 in gold among its men. thanks
chiefly to their commerce in rings, pa
per knives and other souvenirs, made
by them from cartridge cases and
aluminium and sold to foot soldiers.
The governments appeals to have
gold sent to the Bank of France and
not to let it fall into enemy hands in
case of capture have since reduced the
amount of gold at the front. but many
keep some coins as a charm. Many
men sew coins touching one another
in such a way as to make a shield
over the heart.
A story that is believed in the ranks
shows how gold can attract the Ger.
mans. A sergeant made a gold coin
glitter in the sun and some thirsty
German soldiers walked right up 10
the French trench. charmed by itS daz
zle, and were easily captured.
Every man has his own particular
star" Lyons farmland said to Apol
linaire, but he must know it. A gold
coin is the only means to put you in
communication with your star. so that
fits protecting virtue can be exercised
have a piece of gold and so am easy
in my mind ] shall never be touched
AZ a matter of fact he WAS seriugel 4