The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-01-13
COCAINE HABIT Z.
CAUSING ALARM
General Edwards Finds 1t Prev
alent Among Soldiers of
U. S. Army.
sAPPINe ITS STRENGTH
He Believes Re-EstaDlishment
of Canteen Would Miti-
gate Evil.

washington. January Brigzdier-Gen-
eral Clarence e. Edwards. recently OF the
Insular Bureau. and now a general onicsr
Russell in Wyoming. who Is in Washington
attending the conference OF army reorgani-
cation. has made what he describes As start,
ling discovery Of . new condition which should
cause considerable apprehension among those
who have charge of the health and morals
of the enlisted force OF the army he says
there is an alarming prevalence OF the cocaine
habit among soldiers. and that IL Is increasing
by the recommendation OF one to another
soldier.
listed men were using cocaine in beer, with
harmful effects to the discipline OF the post.
that he Instituted an investigation Much
mystery surrounded the source OF this ma
terial but he finally discovered that 1t was
being sent in envelopes by mail from Denver
He has accordinsly asked the postal authorf-
ties TO make some effort to stop this traffic
through the ais He has also appealed to
the municipal authorities In Denver and in
Cheyenne which Is in the beighborhood of
Military Duty Not interrupted
General Edwards has also sought to inn
press on the military authorities In washing
habit. He believes that much could be done
in the desired direction by the re-estabiisb-
ment of the army canteen. and he gave some
testimony to this erect ms week week oelore .ne
Gers of the army. The medical officers asy
their records do not show the use OF an undue
amount of the drug, but 1t Is ad mittec that
il is growing inside. as It is outside or the
army IL has not reached such proportions
as TO cause protfacted Interruptions OF mill
rarr duty BIZ the enlisted men. and there
Continue TO be more discharges for alcoholism
than for the drug habit. At the same time
General Edwards discovery has aroused
the authorities to make a further inquiry into
the subject
Rrieadier-Genecal George H. Torney. sur
c,on-geuerzl of the army. concurs with Brigz-
dirr-fjeneral Edwards in the iatter's opinion
- hut -
largely TO the coczone habit of the army.
General Torney said that only two enlisted
men were discharged last year because OF the
cocaine habit but there Is grave danger OF
soldiers contractipg the habit from drinking
.'dsped' liquor.
1.-The army officials could well control the
situation If IL were possible to drive out the
dies that menare the army posts. said
spread the habit among the enlisted men, IL
has been discovered that cocaine and other
drugs have been put in beer to lure the men
back to these places
General Torney declared that men had
already acquired the habit when they en-
listed but rigid era animation TO prevent this
is always made. He said the officers made
every effort to rid the army OF dope nends:
and in his opinion the habit was not v1oeiy
prevalent among the enlisted men
Other army officers believe that the rcStors-
tom ~ the cantecn would greatly remedy
the situation as the Erog shops would then
h.ve M Inducements for the soldiers lt Is
aroued by the pro-rantcen advocates that
The cocaine habit m the army would be prac-
,.c,l,y v.ped ont IL the men were permitted
70 have iiauor In their own cantcens-