The sun., 1919-04-06
Figures Show a Monthly
Average of $4,000 Since En-
terprise Was Started.
SOLDIERS ARE GRATEFUL
Many Returning Fighters Make
1t First Duty to Thank Those
Who Contributed. =

Soioic SoHipieto Histofles OF tnht COuillct
have been actually written. 1t was
seized as descriptive group of words by
THE Sun Tobacco Fund and rather more
httingly than usual applied to the
growth of the smoke fund. In the
months of the year 1917 and OF the year
1918 TO November of the armistice these
stops" touched on the average $780,
10000.
On November 80. 1a1s. the grand total
OF the fund stood at s410.515.35. O
month later II had crossed another $10,-
10000. by, the end of February Il stood
at s429,5s1.1s. The present high mark
OF the smoke fund Is $4S2,093.s1.
Figures rarely fail to persuade, al
though the old adage about their In
variable truthfulness has been doubted
by the. paradoxists. In this case they
must be accepted as proving the remark
able vitality OF the fund organised and
carried on for the benefit OF the Ameri-
can soldier abroad. And II at first
though a narrow one, II seemed to the
contributors to this fund that its pur-
pose was accomplished with the sign
ing of the ernistioe between the Central
Powers and the Allies. the second
thought was that the soldiers in the
American Army of Occupation as well
as the American soldiers In French hos
pitals and billeted in French towns and
villages near the frontier needed to-
bacco even more during the time of
reconstruction and cessation of HOSTILE
ties than they had done when they were
actively engaged in battle.
Figures Not Complete.
THE Sun Tobacco Fund is not yet
ready to tell all of its story with dia-
ora ms nj .F L.
task which can wait the time of leisure
which is to come, but 1t may be per-
mitted to give this feeting glimpse Of
dts continuing activities and to congratu-
late the donors who have provided faith
full in helping to carry them on.
The aftermath Of the harvest OF mt
tual good feeling between the soldiers
and THE SUN Tobacco Fund il being
daily reaped now that the boys are
coming back and they are able to give
expression viva voce to how they feel
towards the fund that supplied their
tobacco wants from the day they ar
rived In France to the day they set
foot once more on American soil
Many OF the callers OF THE SUN
Fund are old friends. acquaintance hav-
ing been formed between them and Il
before they want, abroad. 1t used to be
quite a common experience to have en-
listed men from the various camps
come to the fund office in 1917 and
turn in their donations to the smokes
for soldiers while they remarked:
I'm a month or 80 we shall be over
there ourselves and In need OF smokes
then IL THE SUN gives us tobacco we
shall feel as IL we deserved It in a
measure"
While the callers Of THE SUN To-
bacco Fund in those early days were
mainly from near by camps either on
Long Island or In New Jersey they
were not limited to these camps but SOL
diers from distant parts Of the country
who were waiting at a near by en-
barcation port and at Ellis Island, any
where in fact, within visiting distance,
came to give their "bit" to swell the
fund
Thus a good many personal acquaint-
ances were made and 1t is pleasant to
find these have endured through all that
has happened since they left here I'M
tried warriors, not yet having received
their baptism of battle, AS they come
in now to say what they feel towards
THE SUN Tobacco Fund. that organlxa-
ton Is amply repaid for all its labors
by their sincere gratitude.
Soldiers Tell Gratitude.
!. wishes that the donors who have
made the fund what it so splendidly is
could hear the boys talk. The cards OF
Acknowledgement these same soldiers
have sent back to the donors are sat
isfactory, of course, as far as they go
(and they go far in terms OF gratitude),
but there Is nothing after all to be COM
pared to the effect OF the human voice.
Would that all the donors to the fund
could hear at least one soldier speak.
A number OF the funds contributors
will have this pleasu for the thankful
soldiers in many instances have saved
81 memory the names and addresses OF
donors and announced their purpose OF
making a personal call upon them.
All of the soldiers. as has been said,
sre of interest to THE SUN Tobacco
Fund, but 1t cannot help feeling some
thing almost like a thrill when the boys
OF some certain regiment whom II knew
well before they sailed away on their
great adventure turn up again safe and
well.
A score of such real old friends have
visited the fund in the past fortnight
and II is looking forward to the return
OF the Seventy-seventh Division TO have
this feeling multiplied. Hundreds of
these men arc friends OF the fund by a
personal mountaineering and the fund
will, count the days from the 24th, when
Il is said they will sail for homo, until
their arrival with more than usual in
terest.
The Headquarters Company OF the
306th Infantry were, as the daily read
ers ofsthe chronicle OF the fund will re-
member. pretty close to this fund Its
musicians. band. double quartet, &C.. APP
peared at many OF the fund benefits
while they were at Upton and there was
an exchange of courtesies all the time
going on between this company and the
fund.
A very successful benefit was given
by the friends OF this regiment for the
benefit OF the fund. which ranks among
tho best of the large public affairs car
ried on for 1t. This was the theatrical
enterta inment given In The Bronx by
the members of the Eighth Coast Artillery
when the Seventy-seventh had been
abroad more than a year. And this Is
but one proof OF the continued interest
taken in the smoke cause by that divis-
ion and Its hackers.
Boys Send Cards.
Recently many cards have been re-
ceived from tho boys OF the Seventy
seventh, and that particular company.
the Headquarters Company of the S06th,
have been almost daily correspondents.
These boys write that In their eleven
months OF soldering they think they
have learned more OF life in foreign
countries than the ordinary tourist could