The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-06-09

GOLD STAR MOTHER
HELPS SMOKE FUND
Message From Son Before His
Death Changes Her Views
on Use Of Tobacco.
ONLY FREE GIFTS ASKED
Many Cards of Thanks Come
to Contributors From
Grateful Soldiers.
ONLY FREE GIFTS ASKED

A bereaved mother whose home Is in
New Jersey wrote letter to THE SUN
Tobacco Fund the other day enclosing
q contribution and explaining that she
had not been in sympathy with the aim
OF the fund because she was opposed to
the use OF tobacco in any form. Her
son lost his life in an act Of bravery in
France, and shortly after she had been
notified that his memory had been hon
ored by the United States Government
she received a letter from him written
a few days before his death.
In this letter the young soldier told
OF the comfort tobacco brought to his
comrades and OF the good work accom-
plished through the agency OF THE SUN
Tobacco Fund.
The mothers letter to the fund fol-
lows:
MY conversion to a moro liberal
opinion would have come about any
way. and now am sorry that did not
help the fund earlier. But l enclose a
contribution and wish to express my in
tention OF following it up regularly. /
do this because l am now sure your
cause l want to do 1t In memory of my
dear son."
Gifts often come to the fund which
couple with their acceptance a condition
this fund Is not able to carry out. One
such case came the other day accom-
panied by a request to SHOW up GER
tain so-called evils in Washington, and
the gift. which was a valuable one, ap-
peared to be made only on condition
that this personal matter be taken up
and made an issue with the smoke
fund. Obviously the thing could not be
done and so the gift was returned with
out explanation. except to say that no
gifts were accepted except those made
freely.
Tobacco Cheers the Boys.
Ray Scott of Company Z, S5oth In
fantry. received a Tot" of tobacco from
THE SUN Tobacco Fund May 23, and he
sat down at once and wrote his thanks
He said:
while we hear with some degree Of
envy about all the boys going homo and
hoping our turn will come soon. we
would have to be very hard to please
were we not contented here. The chow
keeps good. we have not too much drill,
the officers are charming fellows and
sent and which arrived here yesterday
why we sit down and whiff away and
think What could be better than our
lot?' l bet you have heard many COM
plants. and so have /. A soldier isn't
happy unless he Is growing about some
thing. but take IL from me, he Is we'll
taken care Of in the Army of Occupa-
tion. and II he gets his 'baccy' regular
he has no real ground for a kick. uany
thanks to THE SUN for these smokes. I
have heard Of number Of its distribu-
tons but this is the first one I hap
pened to share in"
Private Z. White of COMPANY A,
Eighteenth Infantry, sends thanks to
Mrs. c. A. Van Brunt After fulfilling
that obligation he adds:
I'm a few weeks now I shall be on
the way home with my company. 1t will
be a great happiness to see my dear
ones again and to be once more in my
native land where understand the lam
guage. But not for any money would I
have missed the experience gained by
my soJourn here. 1t is a year and a
half since came over and 1 have
learned something about life every one
OF those days 1 know how to Justly APP
preciate our great republic because I
have seen with my own eyes there are
great people and great countries besides
ours. I tell you there Is nothing like a
little travel to open a mans eyes and
save him from getting provincial. How
glad I'll be when I can tell some of the
things I now know to certain people in
my own home town."
Singer Gets Message.
Paul F. Kern OF Company E. 35oth
Infantry, has sent letter of thanks for
tobacco to Mrs. A. Soper She is the
soprano who gave several concerts for
the fund In the season OF 1913, and evil
IDENTIFY her correspondent was aware OF
her identity, for he writes IT am mighty
glad to have the opportunity to thank
you now for cigarettes and tobacco re.
ceived long while ago. You have prob
ably forgotten when you sent the money
to THE SUN to buy them, and not getting
any notice OF their arrival from me you
probably thought they were lost No, but
your card was. I remembered the name
however, and friend here told me that
Mrs. Soper was a well known singer
Then the card turned up in a queer way
and so now after many months I am
writing to thank you. All the boys ]
was with had their share OF the smokes
and IL they were here now they would
join me in thanking you Very few SOL
diers are here, as most OF them who are
living have gone home. Possibly YOU
heard from some OF them. II you should
care to write 10 me should be overjoyed
and there would be plenty of time for me tc
get the letter and to answer 1t before ]
have the good luck to start back. Ad.
dress me A. p. o. 1885,"
The following poetic card has beer
sent to us by Herbert Pell, a fund con-
tributor. who says Ne has had many in.
teresting cards from the soldiers abroad
and that he thinks this one is worth pub.
fishing. 1t was write at Verdun April
1S:
ITO Herbert Pell-Kind sir:
We came in on the Nerdun wreckers,
II was a rainy night.
But ere long we had a greeting
That cheered and made things bright
Not that II was thing great
But one we'll ne'er forget;
And We were a happy bunch that night
We smoked your cigarette.
And in prose the writer. David K
Cremer, adds Hoping to hear from you
at my home, which is Kankakee, Ill"
From Camp Covington at Marsellles
France. A. l.. Halstead wrote on May IL
to the New York Central RaI;way Clerks
Thanks! Smokes surely were appre-
ciated and helped to pass the time away
while We were waiting, waiting, waiting
for the ship that is to take US back tu
Gods own countryr'
How the Fund stands To-day.
THE sun and THE EVENING SIN a. ooo M