Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-01-08
SHALL WE SEND SMOKES

To the Editor of the Telegraph:
lt is high time that Uncle Sam
asks what can be done to put a stop
to the grossly wicked advertisements
of the American tobacco industry,
appearing in many newspapers as
editorials, urging the sending of to-
bacco and cigarets to our soldier
boys. Boys who never smoked are
being shamed into it. One officer
has already complained that men
under him are being untitled by Gig
arets for the duties of war. He
speaks of the necessity of steady
heads, strong hearts, and unpoisoned
muscles. 1t is already whispered
that we may lose in the present war
II tobacco cannot be kept from our
men. 1t Is n deadlier weapon than
German steel. The cigaret will leave
the bones of thousands of our gal
liant boys upon the foreign shores.
Already protests have been sent to
Secretaries Daniels and Baker.
We are putting into the field.
morally and physically, the purest
great army the world has ever seen.
But these men are endowed with all
the passions of men. It has long
been known that the cigaret tends
to efface the moral sense, ana the
sense of responsibility: that IL
soothes the police nerves, and lets
the anarchist nerves unfettered.
With the restraints of consci snce
crippled, and with the stronger
American power of initiative. the
naturally expected result would be
that from the present standards Of
purity our armies will descend 10
the depths of licentious corrurt,on
and abnormal atrocities, and that
many who come back will be NOR
ally unfit to associate with their
mothers and sisters and sweethearts.
After any great battle men will be
round dead from heart-shock or
o"er-exertion, and the stress of ex-
citement. This is the normally ex-
pected fruit of cigaret smoking.
Mental confusion when ciearness is
demanded will lose many a battle,
Inc use OF tobacco in any form nm
nus man for modern warfare. and
the oigaret vice is the consummate
climax of the dissipations of war en-
ergies.
Any newspaper that accepts al-
Vertlslng matter from the tobacco|
interests, endeavoring to mislead
kind-hearted people to send smokes
TO the boys, is potentially pro. Ger.
man in that it menaces the mower
and effectiveness of our armies Tt
should be given to understand that
it is disloyal, giving aid to the enc
my by advocating what must de-
stroy the physical and moral fitness
oc our men. An editor who nIh-
fishes such matter should be restrain
ed by the strong arm of the law
Not unlikely some unthinkink per-
son started the thing out of pure
heart-kindness, but it is not kind
nor loyal to give the men what win
oestroy them and defeat our armies.
ana the enemy knows that tobacco
VIII weaken our fighting power.
BESIDES the degrading of the
nerve the heart, the digestive func-
llons' beside the debasing of the fac
uiiles and the morals, and the Grip
Ping OF the powers of endurance
the use or cigarets creates II weak
ness toward pneumonia with the
probabilities against recovery. Gov
sidering the exposure of our armies
this Is very serious.
1t mas become n matter of pubIic
knowledge that the smoke "edit, r.
ials' are published at the instance
of an American tobacco companv
These wicked hyenas care nothing
for the men or for the Flag. hut are
willing to degrade our armies or
blast the hope of the Nations for
their own pecuniary profit! Shamet
ten thousand times-sname.-
shame, too, upon the press, sharing
the guilt of the betrayal! Tbe great
army Is being created for the de-
fense of the worlds liberties, and
not for the financial exploitation of
spectators.
Where is loyalty to the Flag and
to our glorious boys? Again we saw
shame!
The public should see to It not
only that these tobacco venders he
frustrated in their diabolicaI enter
prise, but that they be branded a.
traitors to our country IN its time of
need.
Just now, when the spirit of the
country is spirit of sacrifice for
the boys we love, these vampires
would bleed from them their health
their manhood, and their power for
victory, and leave this Nation to the
tender mercies of the Kafsart W.