Slow Smoke

One night last week the small ballroom of Manhattan's Hotel Pennsylvania oozed cigar smoke at every crack. Cigar makers, wholesalers and dealers were gathered to ponder the plight of the U. S. cigar. As they all well knew, production had fallen from the all-time high of 8,304,000,000 cigars in 1920 to 4,344,700,000 in 1933. Even with the recent rise of the 5-c- cigar, production last year was only 4,763,900,000. The cigar men had gathered to hear Joseph Kolodny, onetime chairman of the NRA code authority for the wholesale tobacco trade, outline plans for saving the cigar. Apparently attached to New Deal terminology, Mr. Kolodny announced the founding of a promotional committee called the Cigar Progress Board, with himself as administrator.

"Many people ascribe the decline in cigar smoking to the accelerated pace of American life," meditated Administrator Kolodny in a fine blue haze. "Others declare it is partly due to the invasion of women smoking cigarets." But whatever the cause, said he, the Cigar Progress Board was out to restore the cigar's oldtime prestige. Cigar makers, who will save some $3,800,000 this year through invalidation of AAA processing taxes, will support the following CPB efforts:

P:This week U. S. cigar stores will simultaneously put forth fresh placards, counter displays, handouts plugging cigars with such slogans as "The Friendly Gesture--Have a Cigar" and "A Good Cigar Makes Every Meal a Banquet." Other slogans, placards, pamphlets will appear every ten days.

P:Every day 30,000 cigar salesmen will make it a point to buttonhole at least two people for a cigar salestalk, give each a cigar.*

P:To the art student submitting the best poster for Father's Day (June 21) the Cigar Progress Board will give a scholarship. To President Roosevelt (who invariably smokes Camel cigarets) the Board will send a chest of 500 fine cigars on Father's Day, which is to the tobacco trade what Mother's Day is to florists.

P:To young men on the make, special literature will try to show that successful men smoke cigars, that cigar-smoking contributes to a man's dignity.

P:To the rushed and frantic, CPB will show that in the cigar there is hope of slowing down civilization because nobody can hurry with a cigar in his mouth.

* CPB formula for the approach: "(To Customer) Do you smoke cigars? (Make motion towards pocket for cigar. If answer is negative or partly negative--bring out cigar and extend it to customer--but as customer tentatively reaches for it--withdraw it halfway, and pointing to the cigar, talk up some of its features. . . .)"

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