Great People Who Do and Who Don’t Smoke.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 1, 5 January 1907, Page 18

Great People Who Do and Who Don’t Smoke.

The occupant of every throne in Europe smokes —except two. that of Holland and that of Turkey. Queen Wilhelmina possesses all the ideas of our grandmothers on the subject of women smoking, and of course the Mohammedan religion forbid* the Sultan. Bet a’.! the others arc keen and inveterate smokers. ‘ King Edward is fond of both cigarettes ami cigars, with a decided leaning in favour of the latter. His cigars are said to cost him at least four shilling* apiece. But they probably stand him in even more than that, notwithstanding that, for him. they come in free of duty. The only persons possessed of absolutely correct knowledge on the subject aie the Keeper of His Majesty’s Privy Purse and the Comptroller of the Household. One tiling can be certain. Both of cigars and cigarettes lie has the be*t that are made. Emperor William of Cermany smokes enormous cigarettes, made, of course, especially' for him. but is not a gieat cigar smoker. He is. however, immensely, fond of an old-fashioned German —really Dutch —pipe. The Emperor of Austria prefers the'Austrian manufactured cigar. It is not made of Havana tobacco, but of pure Virginia. These cigars are made round a long straw, running from end to end. King la'opold of Belgium is seldom without a i-igarette in his mouth, though he is very fond of a pipe. This he has on the quiet. King Alfonso has never taken to cigar smoking. He was too young to smoke when th* American war lost him < üba. Before then the Roy al House of Spain had as tribute the finest Havana ei«»ars made. Now he would have to buy them like other people. But he is a keen and constant cigarette smoker. His favourite?, are the genuine Spanish cigarito: these are small, of black Havana tob-ieco. ami thk-kish paper. They are not gummed like other cigarettes, but merely held together at the ends by a tiny fohl-in of the paper. To smoke them properly, you must re-roll them. This is a performance requiring much dexterity and practice. The smoke of these cigarettes has a mo-t delightful smell, but they stain the fingers of the smoker quite brown. King 4 arlos of Portugal it is stated, smokes from forty t<» fifty cigar.- a day. An o»-ca*i*mal cigarette is all hr wants. Pojie Pius X. is the first Pope known to smoke a cigar, or indeed tobacco in any form. Previous Popes in history only took snuff. The Khedive of Egypt is a great cigarette -mokrr. but is a poor judge of a good one. and consequently is noted for the wretched quality of his cigarettes. which are. of on»rM‘. imposed upon him a* the l>r>t. Hi- friend- drra I lixving him offer them one. The < zar -mokes Russian cigarette*, of course, with the cardboard mouth piece-. Hr sometimes indulges in a cigar, a v»ry dry one for chutrr.; AH the Presidents niuoke, or are believed to. ex«-ept Pn -idcnt R«»osrvrlt. who is particulaHy ••Crenuous in Irk non-smoking.