Omaha daily bee., 1918-09-30
Against the paper Pill"

Raglan, Neb.. Sept. 2o.-To the
Editor Of The Bee: In the issue OF
September you take occasion to
rather frown down the earnest
and sincere person" who arises to
protest against the use of cigarets by
our boys in khaki. To my mind
| deplorable condition has come upon
us In this matter, that the public
press will throw the weight of Its in
f1uence against the best interests Of
our brave men. 1t may be all right
to place tobacco where the man who
is addicted to the habit may buy 1t,
but when great monopoly Is able
to subsidize the press Of the land so
that, consciously or not, they en-.
courage men and boys who never
touched the weed to become addicted
to the habit, then it Is time every
father and mother, and those who
have the best interests at heart,
should stir themselves.
What If some do complain II they
lack cigarets? On the SHINE ground
you would have to provide some
with beer and whisky, permit them
access to women of the streets and
all the defiling and debauching in
fluences that abound. Why? Be-
cause some have become addicted
to those habits in civilian life. Our
government, realizing the undermine
ing influences of these things, has
made them taboo in the camps and
among our soldiers; that Is, they
are being protected, not only from
the following Of those habits that
degrade, but the beginning Of such
habits Is provided against; the
temptation Is kept away as far as 1t
is possible to keep it away from
those never taken in by such vile
practices. We all recognize the
good that comes from such protec-
ton, and that Is why we have an
army that we can all be proud of.
Now as to tobacco, and especially
cigarets, can you cite a case where
clgarets made a man or boy more
manly and dependable, made him
more of man? Helped him to be-
come better man physically, men,
tally or morally? You cannot. They
are the source of much physical de-
generation and loss of mental power,
besides the Gripping of the moral
senses. No man can be as alert and
capable when addicted to the use of
cigarets as he would be II he did not
use them. Medical science Is not
slow to speak out on this matter.
The man whose system Is saturated
with nicotine when injured by acct
dent or by an enemy bullet does not
stand the chance to recover as does
the man whose blood Is clean and
wholesome. When we encourage
our men in the use of tobacco we
are really helping the kaiser; we are
lighting for him. We are making II
harder for our surgeons and nurses
as they strive to restore the wounded
10 health again; we are really stab
ping our brave men in the back al
they go forward in the interests Of
humanity.
And who is getting the benefitf
The American Tobacco company.
FOR gain they are willing to de-
pauch and cripple our boys, and
every agency that encourages the
tolks at home to contribute to to-
bacco funds is in like manner play-
ing into the hands of this trust, help
ing the kaiser cripple and main our
men, making their chances of COM {
ing back home whole men less.
Think of the tobacco nicotine-soaked
wrecks that will come home to the
posom OF family and loved ones, per-
maps incapacitated for any worth
while occupation. Why not protect
our boys and at least make it pos
slple for the one who does not crave
the defiling and Gripping weed to
keep from 1t rather than to encour-
age the forming Of the habitp Think
this through and realize what infiu-
ence a great paper like The Bes
would have If lined up on the side
OF clean and virile manhood.
M II p0pTrn