The San Francisco call., 1910-08-29
Reports Spread Alarm

The startling condition has been
. known TO the military authorities since
, last January, when company command
" ers began TO make reports to post head
3. quarters, and the general hospital daily
received q stricken soldier Just how
general the use Of the white poppy juice
" lJas. become is not estimated, but it is
admitted to be more alarming than ever
. before in the history of the army.
Colonel Deems said yesterday that IN
ali his career he had never encountered
such a general addiction TO the drug,
and that u worst his observation had
neve rdisclosed a higher percentage Of
opium using than two to three per cent.
i was at first estimated that 20 per
cent Of the men at the Preside were
using the drug, but this is declared ex-
6essive. a more conserve tive figure,
after company and hospital statistics
lad been compiled. being 10 per cent
Alarmed AT this high percentage, ap-
peaIs were directed by Colonel Lundeen.
j. -commandant Of the post, to the district
attorneys Office and 10 the office of the
chief Of police, with the result that the
first raids on opium dens by the civil
authorities. acting under the suggestion
of the army. were made Saturday, when
the premises at 1887 stockton street and
. sss Grant avenue were visited by As
.:sistant District Attorneys z. A Lane
and Michael O'Connen. assisted by Spe-
--ciaI Policemen William Coleman, r. c.
Williams and ; 3. Narkley.
First Move in Campaign
Seven whites and one Chinese were
arrested, and 4 large quantity of NOR
ephine. opium and cocaine was conas-
Gated. The hrst move by the federal
authorities is considered by them highly
Successful, and q constant battle is TO
be wa ged on every place where it is
;. suspected enlisted men are given the
drug.
stationed at the Preside are 35 COM
nsnies. composed of cavalry, infantry
artillery. engineers and signal corps
while these men are almost constantly
being moved. at times there are more
than $3.50 in quarters. 1t was OBJ
served during the winter months. when
most Of the troops were at the bar
rscks. that cases Of opium poisoning
and illness were alarmingly frequent
Absence from check rooIcall. which is
the midnight company barracks inspec-
tion. became more annoying. and the
various captains began TO turn in re-
norts indicating the situation which
now has grown like the shadow of a
.cireat specter. Investigation disclosed
the fact that the general hospital.
which is in charge of Captain c. Nc
-Trtire head of the Preside surgical
staff. was receiving an Increasing num-
Der Of cases of opium patients.
Appeal to Civil Law
90. After some department correspond
ence. Colonel Bundeen issued stringent
orders from department headquarters
and then addressed his appeals to the
city authorities Some success at
tended the earlier efforts of the army
officers. Men addicted to the use of
tbe drug. instead of using it in town
and staying away from the barracks,
brought it into the reservation with
fhena zzs used it under the very eyes
Of their commanders. The result was
10 deuloralize company discipline.
In the absence of Colonel Lundeen.
Colonel Deems is commanding officer
and some Of the correspondence be-
tween the department and the city off,
hcials has passed through his hands.
In spea king of the situation he said
yesterday:
Gravest of Dangers
1T is a fact that the military au-
thorities have directed correspondence
from this post to the civil authorities
In a campaign against the opium habit
Continued on Page 2, Column