The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1918-04-19
An Open Letter to the Red Cross

A local chapter of the Red Cross
which meets i'm one of the Detroit
churches sent formal protest to head
quarters asking that the policy of send
ing tobacco, Gig aretts and playing cards
to the soldiers be discontinued. Mr..
Gustavus ID. Pope. chairman of the De-
troit Chapter, is reported in the Free
Press of March Is as replying to the
ladies by saying that topacco and cards
help to maintain the morale of the
army. He declares that there is only
one opinion concerning this.
We take sharp issue with Mr.. Pope
and Mr.. Miller. The plain unadorned
fact is that it is not true. There is
more than one opinion about it. 1t is
surely not true of the men who are still
in this country. When Mr.. Pope speaks
of men 5000 miles from home he is
speaking of a very small fraction of the
army and is lodging the issue.
But whether or not cards and cigarette
are necessary to the salvation of the
soldiers is not the question. The real
question is whether or not the Red Cross
shall continue to furnish these articles,
to the soldiers.
The first may be disputed question.
The second is not. The officials of this
organization who fail to see the distinc-
ton are either woefully dodging the is
sue or are painfully obtuse. No one
has asked that soldiers who are addict
ed to the use of tobacco discontinue
that habit. No one has asked that any
soldier break off the practice of card
playing. The simple incontrovertable
| facts are these: The practice of the
DaA in, f1rn icht
! cards to the soldiers is indefensibe for
the following reasons:
| First-It is unfair to the soldiers
themselves Not all use tobacco and
cards. They are Disseminated against
and punished for possessing better hab-
| its and finer tastes. 1t is temptation
to those who have not been addicted to
these habits. At this point let US quote
from two lads:
Having waived exemption, | am one
of the soldier boys of Uncle Sam. To-
day read your editorial in the Advo-
cate of October 13. stating your con-
victions on The Cigarette and the Sol
der" To it say aloud That's the
stuff. | am glad that somewhere
! there is an editor that dares to go
against the crowd on this subject. A
months observation and conversation
has convinced me that many of the
boys are smoking far in excess of what
they did before coming here. This is
due partly to company and partly to
| the encouragement given by the general
| public. Moreover, our present life in
camp is neither exciting nor nerve
racking. hence no narcotic is essential.
| For the life of me, | cannot see the
sense of encouraging men to smoke who
have made long hikes and do much
double-quick running, when only lit
| tie while ago the same men were told
by college and high school coaches that
they must quit smoking while In train
| ing, if they wanted good wind power
''Perhaps the situation is different
when men have been fighting gruesome
battles but while in the United States
the cigarette is not necessary to any
soldiers welfare.
Zone of the Boys"
Through the kindness of my parents
| receive a copy of the Advocate week
| ly, which is very welcome. / read with
| funds for the soldiers. If some of the
good people could come to the UNDER
standing that private, the lowest paid
month, of which he spends a small
amount for laundry and incidentals.
and has the rest to spend as he chooses,
they would perhaps change their mind
as to the amount of good they are do
ing the Sammies.
AS for myself, do not smoke, and
there are others in this war army who
are like myself. The idea of free
smokes may appeal to some of the
younger fellows who have never been
addicted to the habit. Why cannot the
folks at home who are so interested in
our welfare put their time and money
into something we can all enjoy and let
the fellow who must smoke buy his own
out of the surplus of his months wages.
and by so doing take part of the temp
tation away from the initiated. 1t is
very true that this war will make or
break the men and boys who enter it;
let the people at home help in breaking
as few as possible. .
VERY truly yours,
Sergeant at Camp Custer"
Second-It is unfair to many thou
, sands of people who literally support
the Red Cross. They do not want
their gifts to purchase, cigarettes and
cards. Knowing this and continuing to
use funds for this purpose might easily
be construed as a misappropriation of
funds. Further, the advertised mission
of the Red Cross is to minister to the
need and comfort of all the soldiers.