Jasper County Democrat, Volume 17, Number 70, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 December 1914 — THE PIPE OF PEACE. [ARTICLE]

THE PIPE OF PEACE.

Tobacco makes all men brethren. In our civil war it was a common Practice for “Yanks” and “Johnnies” to arrange impromptu truces on the battle or picket line to barter for tobacco with the enemy. Now Great Britain, commanding the sea routes whereby tobacco reaches the various belligerents, has declared ► that she will not treat the weed as contraband and will make no seizures. This is possibly' the most humanittarian action of the war. For it is purely disinterested, and it involves the supplying of the enemy with one of the most valuable and essential war materials. , Soldiers must have their tobacco Tommy Atkins is described as lighting his pipe at night unconcerned by the instant fusillade that follows. Richard Harding Davis, observing the inarch of a German army through Belgium on the way to the battle front, noted that nine-tenths of the men held cigars between their teeth, and the marching column might have been traced far by the rising smoke. For cold, hunger, fatigue, pain, nerves or solitude, tobacco is the universal solace. What else could make the bitter days and nights in the wet trenches endurable? Women could not be expected to grasp this; but almost any man can understand the conduct of an English recruit who after cowering all day in utter ’ear, leaped out of his trench and • aced a storm of balls and shells just to get the "makin's” of a cigarette. '

Tobacco is a power for peace. The Indian, wiser in many ways than his white conqueror, made it the symbol of peace. The dove as an emblem suggests mere untried innoeence and weakness, but the pipe represents the peace of mutual understanding and forbearance. There is much to be said for the suggestion of the New York World that “if armies could be arrayea against each other in mighty smoking contests, there would be no bloodshed.” But why "contents?” Just let the armies come together without rivalry, and smoke, and there will be no war.—Tacoma, Wash., Tribune,