Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-02-08
Editors Letter Box
One Amazing, Other Amusing
Editor Kennebec Journal:

Editor Kennebec Journal:
OF the two letters from women in
yesterdays Journal, one is amazing,
the other amusing. That a mother
should approve of the Red Cross as
sisting the Tobacco Trust i'll nicotin-
ing the soldiers because her boy has
formed the tobacco habit since enter
irg the army and thinks it is making
a man of him, is certainly amazing.
The soldier is put in training not only
to learn inc art of war but to make
him an athlete. His chances for use
fulness and safety depend in great
measure upon his physical condition.
Had her boy entered college and tried
for athletics, he would not have been
allowed to use tobacco while in train
ing. II ne ever attended public
school he was taught the harmful eff
fects of tobacco. We recognize that
the trenches are poor place to break
the tobacco habit, and if we send our
boys to the trenches with the habit we
must see them through. And that is
the fact that the tobacco profiteers
have capitalized for vast millions of
profits. But the training camp should
from the bondage of the Tobacco
Trust, and q great mistake has been
made in not using it as such. Our
boys should go into the trenches free
from both those deadening. depressing
drugs, nicotine and alcohol This fact
is abunda ltly taught by athletics and
physiology, and our government should
have common sense enough to prevent
the soldiers from impairing their eff
ficiency jus because a gang of million
aires want their money, and a silly no
ton prevails that a cigarette in boys
mouth makes him a man. | am glad
that my boy in France can be a very
popular IMAM among men" without to-
bacco.
The best land in America is used for
growing tobacco. and a vast amount of
labor and fertilizer required. This
years corn crop is very poor. with
only a small amount ripened we'll
enough for seed. We are told to eat
corn, but the poor quality makes it
dangerous to health. Had the tobacco
land been PLANTED to corn, with thor
ough fertilization and cultivation, it
would have produced food and seed
corn enough TO meet the needs of all
America Or that land would have
grown peanuts enough to have met
the need for fats due to the shortage
of cotton seed oil and lard. Some
months ago the Journal published
statement Of Yale professor compar
ing the tobacco user with the sub
marine for reducing the food supply.
Speaking Of peanuts brings me to
the amusing letter about baking beans
with sausage fat How are we TO have
sausage Eat without pork? TO in
crease our use of sausage until the
weekly accumulation Of fat would be
sufficient for baking beans would de-
feat the conservation we are seeking.
BY using Ieanuts to bake our beans
we can do without pork altogether, for
the shortening compounds made Of
cotton seed oil and cleo stearine are
far superior to lard.
Take equal quantities Of beans and
raw shelled peanuts. III Smelling the
peanuts ne careful to save the brown
skin, as that contains much of the
OIL Prepare the beans as for baking
with pork. Boil the peanuts three or
four hours. then mix them into the
beans. together with the water they
are boiled in. Bake twelve or more
hours. Peanuts, like the other food, fed
70 hogs are. in great measure wasted,
as the prok produced contains but a
part of the food value Let US reduce
our demali for pork, increase our de-
msnd FOR raw peanuts, and conserve
food.
But many say they do not like pea
ruts. That makes no difference. there
II no peanut taste in baked beans and
peanuts Raw peanuts taste much like
raw peas, and baked with beans have
only rich bean flavor. II you like
beans and not merely the pork. you
will like baked beans and peanuts
\ Soldiers Father
Judge-"You can take your choice.
VIZ or ten days" Prisoner ,stin in a,
foggy condition}-"rll (hic) take the