The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-10-24

[SOIAOSIS
and other forms of tobacco. had its origin
before the war. 1t was not many years
ago that the cigarette was supposed to rep
resent some kind of moral delinquency and
sapheaded youths were represented by car
toonists putting away their young lives by
Indulgence in the insdious coffin nall 1t
dawned upon the public, however, mc-c
than a decade ago that the cigarette was
merely more portable form Of tobacco and
more convenient for short smokes, and that
IL was not deleterious il used as other forms
or the weed were and not to excess.
The European war brought the American
cigarette to the fore. Even the most deter
mined agitators against the use Of tobacco
rave way to the desire of the American peo-
pie to provide cigarettes for the soldiers or
at least the makings of the same. The Red
Cross, the Y. M. c. A. and the Knights OF
Columbus, the Salvation Army and other
religious or semi-religious organizations
Joined with other agencies in providing
smokes for the soldiers. Such agencies as
THE Sun Tobacco Fund provided many OF
the comforts Of the weed, and various
leagues and societies joined in the move
ment.
The result was that the name and the
fame of the American cigarette was carried
as never before to the uttermost parts of the
earth. The French soldiers, the British the
Highlanders the black skinned men from
the distant islands, the Arabs and the Chi
nese, all brought together for the battle Of
The nations, learned about the small paper
covered cigar made in the American facto-
ries and mastered the mysteries of kinds OF
tobacco of which they had never before
heard.
rp nd nth
who had pulled on pipes all day found in the
new tobaccos In this convenient form sub
stitutes for the more ponderous forms OF
smoking. So little apparatus was required
so little trouble 1t was said the other day
that undoubtedly the giving away of so many
cigarettes, which were offered everywhere
introduced the cigarette to those who had
never before used tobacco in any form II
is certain at least that the war brought
about tremendous vogue for the cigarette
which Is not losing any ground At the
present rate of consumption, every Ameri-
can, man, woman and child, would be using
forty-three packs of ten each every year.
The popularity of both the cigarette and
that of the wrist watch have grown as g
result of the European war Both were once
regarded symbols Of effeminancy and
oegeneracy Now red blooded men engaged
in hard work may be seen with watches on
their wrists and cigarettes in their mouths
The other day coming in on a suburban
railroad ! saw fireman on an Erie loco
motive, a stalwart specimen of humanity
putting away not on a black and odorous
pipe, but on a white clad cigarette. He was
shovelling away, with the red light glowing
on his massive shoulders and his square
cut jaw, and such Is custom now that there
seemed nothing incongruous in man and
cigarette. A few years ago only a black
stained dudeen or briar would have seemed
in character with such son of toll
Women Smokers Increasing.
Even workmen on street excavations or on
railroad work are seen with the cigarette,
once lowly esteemed as a means of diversion
Of the dilettanti, and no one pauses to COM
ment upon what a few years ago would have
been deemed an unwonted sight.
Going to the other extreme, the use Of Gig
arettes among women especially those of
the fashionable world, has increased within
the last five years. so as to make the fem
mime demand for these articles of the smoker
a factor in the market.
These are some of the items In the reckon
ing which have brought about an increase of
SO per cent. in the manufacture of cigarettes
as shown by the report of 1918 over that of
the preceding year, and an increase of Sc
per cent. in the first cousin of the cigarette
the little cigar Weighing not more than three
pounds to the thousand.
This increase has taken place also in the
face of a revived campaign against the
cigarette, the cigar and the pipe, the pro-
moters Of which promise to bury them
eventually in the same grave with John
Barleycorn. About ten years ago a special
crusade against the cigarette was instigated,
which, however, did not reach any consider
able results. The greatest problem in con-
nection with the short form of the smoke is
in connection with fires. and repressive
methods against it have to be undertaken to
prevent its untoward use where there is in
fammabe material The shirtwaist fire in
Waverley place several years ago, started by
a discarded and still lighted cigarette butt,
has led to drastic regulations both public and
private against the use of the cigarette dur
ing working hours in structures where there
are quantities OF materials stored which
burn readily.
In this country, however. the cigarette,
despite all manner of regulations and re-
pressive legislation, is now the leading
smoke" Its growth i'm popularity is all the
more remarkable when It is considered that
the cigarette. which is after all merely
- -t.ftI ttfttL t1ho to of