Document zo9jabznMr9Va3ZrDdwe21jNg

FILE NAME: Kent (KNT) DATE: 1957 DOC#: KNT154 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: Reader's Digest Article - Filter-Tips That Really Filter .Vuh Y E IR is * Vi. . silLit .*' " \,l *r ,. .%. i .*;***::-m:.\ '? mt* i .g US2-7 V>%^ ^ 3k Digest ARTICLES OF LASTING INTEREST Three Cays of Silence That Saved a Life /. Campbell 3 nice 27 Divorce Is Going Out of Style . . . . Albert Q. Maisel^^SS Wanted--and .4vai/af>/e--Filter-Tips T h at Really Filter Lois Mattox Miller & James Monahan 43 Join Me in One of the New Jet Tankers Air Force 50 Childbirth Under Hypnosis Redbook 55 Pacific Northwest Stands on Its Own Feet William Hard 59 The Beautiful Thieves in My House P. C. Blackburn 65 The Blizzard That Tested the Great Plains . . . . Real 68 It's Noe Too Late to Save Our Elms American Forests 72 The Art of Babcockery . . . Atlantic Advocate 76 'T he Most Valuable Thing a Man Can Spend" . Guideposts 81 Eye Care Up-co-Date Setter Homes &Gardens 92 The Mighty Midgects of Hatteras . American Mercury 95 Return of a Prodigy . . . . Alix B. Williamson 99 He Makes the Deserts Bloom How Human Are Animals 1 .................... Denver Post 107 . . . Saturday'Review U2 My Most Unforgettable Character . . Cameron Shipp 117 The Rugged Rangers of Our National Parks Travel 123 Let Reparation Fit the Crime . . . . Robert Littell 127 I Was a Diplomat's Wife .............................. The Diplomat 131 How "Unde" Got the Goods on Frank Costello Lester Vetie 138 End of the L i n e .................................... "Trolley Car Treasury" 143 Dick Emery Teaches Them from Hand to Head . . . Frances V. Rummell 148 A New Look at Niagara Frills . Wolfgang Langewiesche 158 Cement: Man's Miracle Mix . . . . Building Products 166 The Wit and Wisdom of Charlie W ilso n .............................. Richard <PGladys Harkness 196 African Safari. New S t y l e .......................... Edwin Muller 200 Secrets of the Sun ...................................................Holiday 206 Immortal Innocent . . . . . . . Malcolm Vaughan 210 The Heroic Fight for J a m e s to w n ................................... Life 214 The Small Woman . . . . Alan Burgess 86 Laughter, the Best Medicine. 13-- 3?ints to Ponder. 19 Life in These United States, -0 --Showmen All. 84 It Pays to Increase Your Word Power, 105-- Humor in Uniform, 136 Have You an Amusing Anecdote? 154 kif ' - 4 W E READER'S DIGEST S tanding in line at the supermarket waiting {or my order to be checked out, I was listening to the chatter of two women ahead of me. "What are you getting with your green stamps? " one asked. "Baby-sitters!" replied the other woman. "I pay 50 cents an hour and give the rest in stamps--they love it!" -- D oiO TM f Colo ( Rote lie, Af. f . f A n attractive young clerk was wait ing on us in the shoe store where my friend and her daughter were shop ping for sandals for that all-important first dance. One high-heeled pair was particularly becoming, and as the girl teetered up to the mirror in them she sighed, `These are beautiful--but do you think I could dance in them?" For an answer, the clerk extended his hand and said, "Shall we try?" -O u t. r . U uiC K (BrUttfert, NtS.) I n the midst of a wedding rehearsal at the church, there was a stir as two girls and two ta ilo rs cam e in and looked around bewilderedly. The min uter went to see what they wanted and then announced that he would have to be excused to perform the wedding ceremony for one o f the couples. " They have come from Newport," he ex plained, "and the boys have to be back tonight because they are shipping out in the morning." " fust a minute," the father o f our bride called out. "W e have a wedding party here--let's put it to use right away for this couple." Everyone jubilantly fell in with the idea. The maids and ushers took their laces, and our bride's father offered is arm to the sailor's lady. As the organist played the "Wedding March" the procession moved down the aisle. T h e soloist sang " Oh, Promise Me." Lacking rice and confetti, we did our best with a shower of congratula tions and good wishes. As they climbed into their car, I heard the starry-eyed bride say to her new husband, "What a wonderful story this will be to tell our children!" A. Du (AttUborm, Mi//,) Reader/ contributions are solicited lor this department'. See page 34 /or infor mation concerning liberal rates of pay ment. Address Unknown * 2 ) ear E ditor: Recently 1 sent a brief item to Life in These United States and after it was mailed, remembered I had not included my ad dress. ( wrote at once to correct the error. N ow I realise I had written nothing in the second letter that would connect it with the first. Conse quently, I'm asking you to forget the whole thing. The story wasn't very good anyway. (W e th in \ the foregoing letter is a classic, however, and would li\ e to pay the contributor, but we. can't read the signature--and there was no address on this letter, eitherl --T h e Editors) ! A Reader's Digest Report to Consumers WANTED --And Available-- Filter-Tips That Really Filter The Second of Two Articles By Lois Mattox Miller and James Monahan Based on Laboratory Tests of Filler-Tip Cigarettes [ ec r ec y is the rule in the (cigarette industry. Rel) search is guarded jcalp o u sly . Developm ents im m ediately become highly classified "trad e secrets." What goes into, or comes out of a cigarette is considered nobody's busi ness but the m anufacturers. Ques tioned about such matters, the aver age tobacco man either freezes up or explodes. gating reports that it was possible to manufaclurci filter-tips more ef fective than those on the market, inquiries met with polite rebuffs. The cigarette companies professed to be engaged actively in filtration research; but they also declared that, thus far, research had produced nothing better than their present filters. However, reliable reports came from scientists in the tobacco indus When the Digest began investi try that belter filter-tips were prac- See "TAe Fatti Mtk in Fitter-Tip Cigarette/" TAe Reader* Digest, f* ly , *yj, slp' -'l confidentially (li.it they line! a; y smoked and letted stand;irW.yrarir.f cigarettes equipped with experimental filler-tips, and that : these filter* gave iruicli higher tarj nitration as well is satisfactory to bacco flavor ami an easy thaw. Then why weren't these improved filters in cnlnmcrcial use? Tlic most plausible answer was that smokeis thought all fillers were alike, and chose brands solely on a basis of taste. "T he brands that sell best arc those with the least effective fillers anti the strongest tobacco," saitl one tobacco man. "That serins to be what die public wants, so that is what the public is gel ting. Im proved filtration might even he un profitable." While (his explanation may he valid, it still leaves the ipieslion whether smokers will persist in con sidering all filler-tips alike when they \twni the facts--facts which have not been available until now. There is really no mystery about the filtration of cigarette smoke. An average puff of smoke from an uii- fillcrctl cigarette contains more than 12 billion tiny, spherical, semi-solid particles, mainly tar and nicotine. These particles give tobacco smoke its chaiaclcrisdc aroma and flavor. They also represent the stimulants, irritants and the suspected cancercausing agents responsible lor the fundamental tobacco-health prob lem. Effective filtration would remove from die smoke enough of these par- minimum, while passing along to the smoker enough of them to pro vide a flavorsome smoke. Where to draw die line is still uncertain. IJut Dr. Ernest L. Wymlcr of (he SloanKettering Institute states that, (or practical 'purposes, a filler-lip ca pable of filtering emt .)(> icrccM of the tar would he a step in the right direction. (Assuming, of course, dial die manufacturer tines not defeat the purpose by loading the cigarette with stronger tubaecu.) "Such a filter-tip," Dr. Wymlcr says, "placed on a rrgtilnr-sizc cig arette which normally yields yu mil ligrams of tar in its smoke, would reduce the smoker's tar exposure to about 18 milligrams. A reduction to that, level, as shown hodi by animal experiments and human statistical studies, would be a significant re duction in cancer risk." The modern filter-tip is essentially a complex maze of microscopic traps or harriers designed to prevent the passage of a certain percentage of die smoke particles. T o do this effec tively, however, the filter must con tain some elements at. least as small as the tiny particles it seek to step. Otherwise, the pat tides will slip through the interstices and defeat the purpose. One tobacco scientist offers litis illustration: "Suppose you had a jumbled pile of telegraph poles. "Vent could drop baseballs into that pile and a huge percentage of them might: find their way through the intervening spaces to die bottom, out me spaces tit a similar pile of fence twists would probably be small enough to stop baseballs, and yet large enough to let golf balls pass. Similarly, a pile of jackstraws or toothpicks would probably trap small heads. Reduce this principle to the microscopic level and you have the basic problem of smoke-particle nitration." What material will provide such a maze of microscopic "jackstraws" capable of blocking smoke particles so small that they arc measured in fractions of microns? After much research, the most suitable substance appears to be a synthetic fiber -- cellulose acetate. With the exception of Threylon (which uses a special type of paper impregnated with activated char coal), the filter-tips of the popular brands arc made from (his same basic material. Well over 95 percent of the cclltdosc acetate coines from the same producer, Tennessee* East man (a subsidiary of Eastman K o dak), located in Kingsport, Tenn. Tennessee Eastman ships the ma terial to the cigarette factories in a wide, soft ribbon called " tow." lint Tennessee Eastman manufac tures the cellulose acetate according to each cigarette company's own specifications. The synthetic fila ments can he made in any specified degree of fineness or coarseness. T hey can he packed tightly or loose ly. They can he crimped, twisted, packed parallel or at random. And even the finest linirlikc filament can also be Shaped or grooved in differ ent wavs in increase lire p c- trapping cllicicncy. s In the cigarette factory, t'trc^iow is treated with a moist " sizing." shaped to a specified diameter, cot into short plugs and fitter! into the mouthpiece by thecigatcUe-makittt; machinery. I3nt, before this final processing, the cigarette makri ran (if he chooses) itnpiovc filtration even more by incorporating in the tow cettain "fillers" devised by bis own laboratory. The best filter-tips now on the market ate ingenious vaiiations ot combinations of these unlimited possibilities. Tbe least effective fil ters arc merely haphazard bundles of synthetic fibers. The laboratory tests tcpoiicd in The Header's Digest last mouth were nearly complete when wmd came from a reliable smutc in the tobacco industry that Lorillntd bail not only developed a new filler-lip (or tbe Kent cigarette lint was modi fying machinery for immediate pro duction. Lorillnrd at first denied the report, then admitted that the new Kent would be on the mniket by midsummer. After some objections, tbe company finally agreed to pio- vide production-line cigarettes (not laboratory samples) of the new tvpe for testing by an independent lahn. ratory. Lot Hard also agreed to (ell bow (he new filter-tip was devel oped. The Kent ease is hnpoitant be cause (1) it spans tbe modern fillet - tip era limil 1951 to date; (r) it illustrates the problems and pitfalls  <if nil" >1 technology; and (3) it dcmf les what a cigarette mak er cam accomplish if lie is sincerely seeking an improved product rather than another advertising gimmick. In 1951, (iko years before head lines linked cigarette smoking with lung cancer, Lorillard's general sales manager, Lewis Gruber, sensed a growing public demand for a mild, filtered cigarette. At the lime, there were two filter-tips on the market: the original Parliament (since renamed Benson (t Hedges), with a cardboard mouthpiece con taining a tuft of cotton; and Vicetoy, which at that lime had a fillerlip made of treated crepe paper. Dr. Harris B. Parmcle, Lorillard's research director, had barely begun 1lie search for a more suitable filter materia! when he got what seemed like a lucky break. The Atomic Energy Commission declassified a technical report describing an aero sol filter containing crocidolite (a kind of bluish asbestos), which was used to remove radioactive particles from the air in A E C installations. Lorillard developed a filler-tip made of cotton fibers containing crocidolitc, and the Kent cigarette made its debut early in 1952. But Kent paiefa penalty (or being a pioneer in filler-tip technology. The original filler-lip proved loo ef ficient to satisfy the taste of the average smoker, and had to be mod ified several times. Meanwhile, die hatilc of the filler-tins began in ear nest. Viceroy switched to cellulose acetate; Liggett & Myers introduced L ftM , and Reynolds followed with Winston. Soon the tobacco counters were crowded with filter-tip brands. Ironically, of the four brands that made the best showing for tar filtra tion in the Digest tests published last month, only Viceroy has be come a substantia! seller (over 25 billion cigarettes last year). Tnrcyton, Kent ancl Kool all sell well below the four-billion level. By con trast, Winston sold 34 billion ciga rettes in 1956. Until last year, Kent was handi capped by its premium price. But Lorillard claims that (unlike sonic of its competitors) it steadfastly re sisted the temptation to hid for pop ular appeal by "spiking" the Kent blend with stronger tobacco. In August 1956, Lewis Gruber, original sponsor of the embattled Kent, became president of Lorillard. He promptly cut Kent's premium price to the popular level, and started production plans for the new Kent filler developed in Lorillard's research laboratory. Kent's new "Micronite" filler # Is made of fine cellulose acetate devel oped especially for Loriiiard by lennessee Eastman. While the Eastman laboratories in 'Icnnessce are the center of much hush-hush filler-tip research, Lorillard claims that this development is essentially its own.* * "Micmmtc" is a l.millard trademark lliat lias liti ii applied In all Knit filter-tips, regardIrss of llirir construction. Tlic cigarette) with the ''new exclusive micronit'e fil ter " (so designated on the face of the package) went on the retail market early in July. B y devious means proofs of jl\c first Rentier's Digest article on | (is were obtained by representatives of the tobacco industry well in hvrCnnce of publication or the July issue. Perhaps ns a result, when noni in<|iiiries were made prior to the preparation of this second article, there was a sudden and surprising interest among cigarette manufacturers in the production of better filter-tips. "For competitive reasons, I cannot disclose our plans in detail," wrote Paul M. Hahn, president of The American Tobacco Co. "1can, however, tell you that our company is developing a completely new filler which c are planning to place on one of our brands in the near future." Toe president of another co'mpnny (name omitted by request) stated: "Confidentially, we do hope to have an improved filter-tip on the market by the end of the year." New filter-tips will Ire tested, and compared whfcn they appear on the retail market, and a report to consumers will appear in the Digest. T h e secret of the new tin's higher the Digest tests), the new Kent king filtration, the company claims, lies yields 14 percent less tar than 'liirey- in the tiny natural fibers (so small ton; 23 percent less than Viceroy; that, to the naked eye, the stuff looks 28 percent less than Winston: 32 like fine powder) added to the cel- percent less than Marlboro; jf) per lulosc-acctate tow after it reaches the cent less than Hit Parade: percent Lorillard plant in Greensboro, N . C . less than L & M ; 40 percent less than T h e laboratory o f Foster D . Snell, Old Gold. Inc., has made determinations of tire H Compared with regular-size un- tar and nicotine in the mainstream fillered brands, the new Kent regu smoke o f the new cigarettes and has lar-size yields 36 percent less tar than reported to the Digest the following Camel and Old Gold; 37 percent results: " Kent, king-size, with new less than Lucky Strike: 40 percent iiiicr-up, 3.4 milligram* c>f Jar, 1.5 css than Chesterfield; 4.) percent milligrams o f nicotine; Kent, regu- less than Philip Morris. lar size, with new filter-lip, 19.7 The new Kent may not be the milligrams of tar, 1.1 m illigram s of best filter-tip possible. (Lorillard nicotine." says that research will continue, and ^ This represents a 23 percent im that further improvement will be provement in lar filtralivn over the made if developments wai 1ant.) lint Kent cigarettes tested and reported it is a big step in the right dicec- on in the July issue o f the Digest. tion. Perhaps competition will com 1 Compared with some o f the pel other cigarette companies to seek filter-kings that ranked low est, aver- filters even better, (ban the new age, and high in tar (according to Kent. (Sec box above.) THE REAVER'S DIGEST August rt June 1057. (fie filini report on ilici American Cancer Society's ,| f filni.Ii 5t.ii(ly o f llie smoking linl)- is o f 188,'hh) meli 50 in 70 years The Study Group urged an cxtcn\<^ si vc reseat cli program to clarify the relationship between smoking and heart and vascular diseases. Until oM presented evidence o f wltal this relationship is clarified, no one 1lit- American Medical Association can decide to what point the nico mllcd ''a spcdacular rclniioiisliip" tine in tobacco smoke should he re between cigarette smoking and lung duced. cancer, lini die lepori also slimved Meanwhile, we will he hearing llint rlciit/t rules frani nil causes aim- a lot more about die filler-tips. In I'lncrl rise with die mmilier of ann 1955 the Federal Trade Oimmissiou id ic i smoked daily. The death rale quietly informed lhe tobacco indus (tom coronary aiici y disease tvas 70 try that it was opposed to all health percent higher am ong cigarette claims and comparisons of filter-tip smokers than among non smokers. efficiency "when it lias nut been The suspect liete is noi tar Inn nico established by competent scientific: tine. p io o f. . . that die claim is true.. . . " While the new Kents, according The industry fell into line. to the tests, give the smoker from 3 Lately there have been signs that to 50 percent less nicotine than the the cigarette advcrtiscis arc growing other filler-lip brands testai, this re-. restless. The Federal Trade Gmi- (Indioii may still fall short of the mission may soon lie facing a rash ideal. .Some medical aulhorilies say of new "claims" that it is powerless dial die nicotine in the smoke from to deal witb--cxccpt by prolonged one cigarette may have to lie reduced litigation. Because lohneen is not to about one-half a milligram before envered specifically by the Fond and nicotine's mensili able effects on die Drug Act, the Federal Trade Omi; cardiovascular system arc decreased mission Act, or any similar statute, significantly. the F T C cannot seek a temporary However, llicrc is siili much to be injunction to suspend nllcgcuiy de learned about the exact role nicotine ceptive or (taudule.nl advertising plays in the tobacco-health problem. while die ease is still in litigation. 'Hie Study Croup on Smutting anil I ll-aldi, which declared " scientific Some of the Federal Tratie (Com mission's legal actions against ciga evidence establishes beyond reason rette advertisers have dragged <111 for able donili" dint cigarette smoking as long as live years; by the time a is a causative factor in lung cancer, filial verdict was banded down the also stated dial "in the lew reports advertising in question line! become available there is no convincing bio ancient history. logical or clinical evidence to indi cate that smoking per se has a causa 'lb deal realistically with this prob lem, Ccmgirss may have to pass leg tive role in cardiovascular disease." islation that will: ' X '957 WNTED-FILTER-ril'S TU.4T F F .tU .Y l-U.TF. i 1. Require the cigarette monufar- Uircr to stale on the label of cadi (trantl: "Laboratory tests have dclctiniuccl that (lie average cigarette in this package will contain in its main stream smoke -- mg. of tar, ami -- mg. of nicotine." (The same law should require the industry to stand ardize laboratory methods of de termining the contents of cigarette smoke, ami to adhere, to those stand ards.) 2. Kcctuirc the manuinctiiier to correct .the data on the label when ever any change is marie in the brand's tobacco, blending process or filler-tip construction. 3. Require the manufacturer to coniine his advertising claims lor each brand of cigarettes to state ments which he can support with competent scientific proof. 'I. Jinable (lie federal Trade Com mission (or other federal agency) to seek a temporary injunction from a federal court in order to stop promptly (and while the issue is in liligaiion) th disseti-.., ,.yn<>n <>1 lalse or mislradiug inlni inalimi n ,i,it ncction wilh ilo- ndvi.i tising oi scll ng of auy Inumi of rigairltrs. Sneli prnclieal irgulaiimis am non bei-ng a p p l i e d - f i n i Iv ami rlfrciivr |v --lo fonds. (btigs, t otturiics. alto liolir beveragrs. I lammablr Inhiiis. ctc. lobaeeo p i o i l m i s ai-- din-idi lini;et! lo lite pliblie licellb. And dotobaeco itldnsliv bas a l-*in; ireonl of deerptive or ii i r tpoos i bl r adi ri tisiog. Why ibis imboliv sluuihl ir maio bevond ibe nanl i ni rtlr'liv, ii'tinlation is a ipirciion iliat pinialily no o li r boi a Ini aero ma n wntikl umici tal:e to misu r i . So (nr as filtratimi is imi rr t ne d. piopcr kihcling -- liaekrd bv icalis tic cnlorccmnit --wnuld dtaw ilu line, bel wer n filier-iips ibai filtri and illuse flint are nir ir lv iiiondipir! >< I bai. al leasl. u nubi eoablr ibe c'u airii.c snuikcr io l:oou iliat br ic getting th l'est pn-iri don tbai a filici -tic cali offer al die pirsrni lime. Perl and Peilincnf <~~T)an Bennett: Nothing discouinges an amateur pnrdcnrr like ivai.rliing bis family cat Ins entire garden at one nic.nl . .. The National Tm ir| Assn elation of Denmark: Tlic official rale of tipping is u ' i proem, l-ui i-, percent insures better service, which is wltv most people gi- r p-urMi . . . French proved.)! Cioil ones; the linetor sends die bill . . . K. Ymmp: Yon never can get niurh uf anything done unless you go ahead ami d" i' before you are ready (nmtc<i->e. i..-,, r . I . . . Sir Herbert Itrrdmlun Tire: A committee should consist of three men. two of whom me absent. . . Tak ing the negative in a debate cm the propnsiiion "Clothes Make (hr Man." Gypsy Rose Lte declared that clothes weie really only a tool, then added: "But I must admit the dress I have on. designed by Ch.adrs fames, is more of a precision instrument" (AVtf.'WreJl