The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1921-07-09
Gift CIGARETTES
TO YANKS HOARDED
BY us. RED CROSS
Soldiers Denied Tobacco as
Warehouses in Gievres Filled
To Bursting.

TO OuI StII'S.
NEW YORK, July 9.-The New
York American today showed how
"gift cigarettes and tobacco" were
held in storage while American sol
diers went without smokes" In
certain cases, according to letters
in the Red Cross files. Americans
overseas were forced to purchase
tobacco and even then had to be
satisfied with French tobacco in
stead of American brands.
WAREHOUSES; BURSTING.
Reports in April, 1919. to the Red
Cross by Investigators. show mat In
Gievres. where more than 10000
American soldiers were stationed
there were seven Red Cross ware
houses. An inventory on that date
shows that of s21 100000 in mer-
chandise stored there. there were
thousands of cases OF cigarettes,
smoking tobacco and chewing TO-
bscco.
or the tobacco stored there and
listed on the Red Cross books as
gifts from tobacco fund" are the
following examples. taken at random
from the Red Cross invoice list: 80
cases chewing tobacco. ,SS7 cases
Bull Durham, I,T05 cases Star chew
ing tobacco, pol cases Tuxedo, So
cases Dukes Mixture, 10 cases Vel
vet"
Other items chosen for example
from long list are the following;
ZOO cases Piedmonts. 52S cases
Chesterfelds, 15s cases Meccas, 1lS
cases Lucky Strikes, 10 cases I'M
| q
cases Federals. o cases Neboes."
Incidentally, in these warehouses,
the report states, were $50 cases OF
comfort kits" containing safety raz-
ors, combs. writing paper. pencils,
soap. cigarettes and other articles.
These kits had been made and do
mated by American women In 1919 and
stored at Gievres for eleven months.
Scores Of cases OF Christmas pack
age also were stored away. although
they had the cards OF donors and ad-
dresses plainly marked on them.
GIFT CIGARETTES STORED.
In showing further conditions
touching the cigarette and tobacco
situation" In France. The American
prints the following letter from Capt.
J. +. Matteson, OF the Savage Ware
house Department. IL was written TO
the head Of Captain Matteson's bu-
reau on December 2, 1918. as follows:
There is In storage at this ware
house the following tobacco, cigar
cites, etc:
'one million. three hundred and
ninety-three thousand. one hun
dred and twenty-sin packages of
Dukes Mixture, packed in 1920
cases OF seventy-two dozen to The
NJ al
ham, packed in ninety-six cases of
seventy-two dozen TO the case;
100000 Camel cigarettes; 100000
Egyptian cigarettes: $4,000 Egyp-
uan cigarettes. and 10000 News
paper Smoking and Chewing Pack
ages.
I'm addition to the above, there
are in transit to this warehouse
+ 100000 Newspaper Smoking and
Chewing Packages The News
paper Smoking and Chewing Pack
age contains package of smok-
ing tobacco, a package Of cigar
cites, plug of chewing tobacco,
some cigarette papers and some
Stimes other things.
These packages have been DO
MATED TO THE RED CROSS ny
PUBLIC SUBSCRIPTION. TO BE
DISTRIBUTED ALSO UTELY
FREE OF CHARGE TO THE
BOYS OVER HERE.
Since / have been in Paris,
have met many boys who have
Just arrived from the front. who
Ind American cigarettes and
no American smoking tobacco.
They were eager to get both, but
had TO be contented with French
cigarettes and French smoking to-
bscco until they could reach the
United states army commIsssry.
Here sre 10000 OF such pack
sEes which have been In storage
for several weeks, and 100000 other
packages of the same Kind are
coming In"
WANTS YANKs To HAVE FAGs.
at seems to me TINT something
should be done. md that right
away, to put this donated material
In the hands Of our soldiers Just ms
soon as possible. II Is going to
he impossible to ship this material
bnck 10 the United ststes--likewise
TO sell IL. SINCE 1T HAS BEEN
Donated FOR GRATUITOUs DIS
TRIBUTION.
Therefore why not give II TO
the boys just as soon as It can be
transported TO them? Why not
send IL to the large evacuation
points such as Bordeaux and Brest?
Why not send II to the convalescent
hospitals? Why not, II Il Is neces-
sary to do that, requisition a
cannon and get II to the boys who
are out on the front?
ut should be remembered TINT
In each one Of these packages tberr
IL return post card. which the
soldier receiving the package Is
SUPPOSED to sign and send back
10 the man who donated the pack
arc. The name of the donor OF the
package is on this post card; and II
these post cards are not returned,
and II these newspaper smoking
and chewing tobacco packages are
not distributed to tho boys, IL
seems to me TINT there IL going to
he reaction which may he rather
awkward and unpleasant"