Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-10-09
AUTHOR SAYS
SOLDIERS MUST
HAVE CIGARETS
Famous Author of "Over the
Top" Describes How Trench
Fighters Need Smokes

When stretch herbearer arrives
alongside of a soldier who has been
hit, the following conversation
usually takes place-Stretcher-b bear
err Want fag7 (cigaret), Where
are YOU hitT Tommy looks up and
answers, Yes In the Leg"
This is a paragraph from Arthur
guy Empeys famous book about the
war = over the Top" Nothing
could show more graphically how
the soldiers fighting abroad feel
about cigarets, In eleven words OF
picturesque language the author
makes YOU see whole picture OF the
wounded soldier He thinks first of
the consoling smoke and second Of
his wound,
Lots of people in this country have
not vet realized that tobacco Is al
most as Important as food and NUM-
tons but the men who have been
over there during the last three years
know and don't hesitate to say so
every chance they have,
Tommy" says Mr.. Empey. 'is u
great cigaret smoker. Ho smokes
under all conditions except when un-
conscious or accommodating in No
Mans Land at night. Then for OBJ
vious reasons, he does not care to
Rave lighted cigaret in his mouth,
And what applies to Tommy GER
tainly applies to our men with equal
force. The American soldier and his
cigaret are always together and as
soon as he gets into the trenches he
is going to want smokes just as bad
as any one else.
Legs Fell Asleep
In another place Empey gives a
thrilling description of the way he
felt Just before the order came to go
over the top. Here's a little bit of 1t.
AT ten minutes to four, word was
passed down, Ten minutes to go!
| Ten minutes to live! We were shiver-
ing all over. My legs felt as If they
were asleep. Then word was passed
down: First wave get on and near
the scaling ladders"
These were small wooden ladders
which we had placed against the par
apet to enable us to go over the top
on the liftln gof the barrage. Lad
ders of Death we called them, and
vertiably they were.
Before a charge Tommy is the
| politest of men. There is never any
pushing or crowding to be first up
these ladders. We croIched around
the base of the ladders waiting for
| the word to go over. l was sick and
faint, and was putting away at Gig
aret. Then came the word, Three
minutes to go; upon the lifting of
| the barrage and on the blast of the
whistles, over the Top with the
Best o Luck and Give Them He'll
The famous phrase of the Western
Front"
That's a picture of a mans emo
tions just before the big test and,
no one can pass over the point that
here was one of the times when he
| had to have cigaret.
These are only a few points from
one of the many books written on
conditions on the Western Front
which have something definite to say
on the need of tobacco and cigar
cts abroad. 1t is good, straight
talk and we have reproduced it here
for the benefit of our own readers
and possible contributors to our TO-
IBACCO FUND. Fortunately for our
soldiers. the TOBACCO FUND idea
has started almost as soon as the war
| itself and 1t is not likely that our
| boys are going to suffer much for
| the lack of their consoling cigaret
in their times of stress.
ANY kind of contribution does
good work. Even for % cents you
can send enough tobacco and cigar
cts abroad to last one of our sold
iers a week. A more patriotic, and
whole enterprise has never
been started in this town and we are
glad Co say that our fellow citizens
are supporting it with open hands
and generous contributions.
But we can always use more and
more. To paraphrase a now famous
expression what is wanted is smokes,
smokes and more smokes for our SOL
diers who are going over there to
fight for us.
Please do your two o-bits"-every
one. The money means little for you
but what you buy means everything
to someone's son. brother or friend.
12-Year-Old Girl Gives
Children have been anon gthe prin-
cipal contributors to the Telegraph $
fund. This morning Miss Pearl Haas
2i3 Main street, Steelton, sent in one
dollar with the following note:
Il am only twelve years old. but l
ON proud to do something for our
boys in France"
Contributions are:
Previously acknowledged. 1901 80
John ID. Derr r.......... 20
FVuFt hhhs .......... LOO
Gladys Showalter ..... %
GLADYS Rice %