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Show COMMUNICATIONS -f ' Calls It a Noble Effort. Editor Tribune--Your editorial of yesterday was a logical masterpiece in defense of the Tobacco fund. It is humiliating in this enlightened day and hour that any defense is necessary for such a noble effort. - It has remained for a few isolated places in the United States from out of the entire world to protest against the contribution of tobacco to the soldiers of all the belligerents in this war for all governments, and the peoples have set aside by legislation and contribution contribu-tion sufficient funds with which to afford "smokes" and, therefore, comforts for the soldier boys. Yes, this mighty shout and protest from a few will be heard and read by many of our boys throughout this and other lands with shame shame that such trivia! interference and .shame that in this great hour such shameful, narrow-minded bigotry big-otry and blue-law foolishness exist. This is not the hour to attack the tobacco to-bacco habit. .Our boys have passed through the thorough and critical examination exami-nation for physical and mental condition and been found fit and ready for the momentous mo-mentous task ahead of them. If tobacco is injurious to a soldier's life, do you not think Uncle Sammy and all civilized governments gov-ernments would quickly put an embargo on its use and not wait to be told to do so? As our soldier boys, together with the soldiers of all countries, have given up everything else that is dear to them to fight in this war of wars, can't and won't you, my dear little chaplain, and anti-tobacco anti-tobacco Baptists, let them have something they don't have to gle up? All of this they give up without flinching and with out f.-ar and should they live through it all vIl rvtuni without a hope and with-out with-out :i vih of re weird nnd recompense. Kuiinre..Ls of thousands of tobacco users have .LTiven up buiiics. Kit lie vs. mothers, sisters ami brothers, wives, children, positions all that is love, life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, and till the comforts of home, safety and enjoyment of reffular and a plentiful supply 01 warm food. Thev have given this up for what'.' To fight for tlie good of the world, yes, to fight for you and me. the stay-at-homes to tramp, tramp, tramp over hills' and through fever-laden marshes and swamps, now crouch in g in tranches in mud and water which chills them n summer and freezes them in winter, snatching a drink of foul and maybe poisoned water from a canteen and savinglv eating from the cold lunch prepared for the day. This they do while dodging the messengers of death that whiz past them. Can't you and won't you. dear chaplain, and beloved be-loved brother Baptists, allow them a little tobacco and the solace thereof. T. F. JAMES. M. E. Salt Lake City. Utah. Oct. 1, 1P17. |