An Urgent Appeal

July 1916

This magazine now enjoys a considerable circulation amongst the general public; we make no apology, therefore, for venturing to print an appeal - quite frankly - for money. The money is required not for The Gazette - which fortunately is self-supporting (and this without, we are glad to say, the aid of advertisements) - but for a fund whose maintenance closely touches the comfort of the gallant fellows to whom everyone in this country is indebted: the hospital's wounded. These men are practically all smokers, and we have yet to meet the anti-tobacco fanatic who carries his views so far as to grudge our soldiers the solace of a cigarette or pipe. But by King's regulations the patients in a military hospital are not, for the time being, allowed to have money in their possession.

Admirable associations have sprung up which supply tobacco, and of these the chief is the Soldiers' and Sailors' Smokes Society,. The 3rd London General Hospital has, however, hitherto refrained from appealing to this Society for help - or at any rate has only done so once, when a sudden shortage occurred. We have preferred to supply our tobacco by means of privately collected subscriptions as long as possible. Nevertheless, the drain on our Cigarette Fund (as it is called) is severe. The 3rd London has 1,600 beds; and when 1,000 are occupied by British troops and 500 by Colonial, an issue of four cigarettes per day per man (or the equivalent in tobacco for pipe smokers) costs about £14 a week.

It should be explained that through the Soldiers' and Sailors' Smokes Society we obtain our stock extremely economically, for though we do not depend, as has been shown, on this society, we buy duty free by its aid. Furthermore, it must be understood that the Australian and Newfoundland patients have a generous allowance of smokes automatically provided for them by the patriotism of their own Homelands. No such arrangement obtains in the case of our good friend Tommy Atkins of Great Britain. During twenty-two months we have managed, in the 3rd L.G.H., to supply cigarettes and tobacco daily to British patients by means of the kindness of our own friends. We ask now that other friends will come forward to carry on this record. Our regular contributors, through either Mr. Berney's fund or the fund collected by Mrs. Bruce Porter, are not numerous; and if any reader would like to assist by regular subscriptions, however small, or a donation, we shall be very grateful - and so, we may add, will our patients.

Cheques or postal orders may be sent either to the Soldiers' and Sailors' Smokes Society (Buckingham Gate, S.W.), marked for credit of the 3rd London General Hospital, or to Mrs. Bruce Porter, 6 Grosvenor Street, W.