Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1914-05-15
RAVAGES OF DRUG
HABIT IS ALARMING
By william Philip simms.

(Paris Correspondent of United Press.)
Paris, May l5.-Owing TO alarming
ravages made by the opium habit in
all classes of French society of late,
bill more stringently to regulate the
sale of the drug in its various forms
aas been drafted here and will shortly
be introduced by the police prefeets of
Paris, Toulon, Marsailles and other
cities, to keep sharp lookout for tle
traffic in all its phases and make ar.
rests relentlessly wherever eulprits
may be found. The foolings of no one,
regardless of their prominence, are to
be spared,
Nine. Lasalle, formerly the Viscount.
ess de Raisne, has Just been fined $l2O
in the correctional court here for the
illegal possession Of the drug. She
lives in magnificent house in one of
the richest and most exclusive quarters
of Paris, with several millionaire Am
orleans for neighboIs. Her name is
near the Porte Dauphine, the fashion
able, as well as principal entrance to
the Bois de Boulogne.
The former viscountess house was
raided by policemen in unifbrm. In
the hall the police commissary found
magnificent sets of opium pipes with
full paraphernalia for "cooking," etc.
Her drawing room was model of its
kind, being gorgeously furnished with
priceless Chinese bric-a.brae, draperies
and lanterns. A soft rosy light warm.
ed up the room, and, in a position of
prominence, was divan, six by twelve
feet long, upon which several persons
could lie down and smoke together.
Nine. LasIllo denied, that sac ever
accepted a cent from her guests. She
didn't need to. Sac liked to smoke
herself and those of her friends who
cared to came to see her and they
smoked opium together She said she
obtained her opium in London. Fol-
owing the filming OF Nine. Lasalle, 10
Paris druggists were found guilty of
selling cocaine and sentenced to pay
fines ranging from $40 to $400 and to
various termx of Imprisonment. In
vestigations show that students in the
Latin. quarter who snuff cocaine or use
opium in some form or other are alarm.
ingly numerous, while many naval of
ficers' and men, especially those who
have served in, the Orient, are regular
ly patrons Of joints in Marsailles, Brest
and Toulon, the latter port being
frances principal naval base.
As profits are large the trade in NOR.
phine, ether, cocaine and other mar
cotics is carried on on big scale, espe-
cially in Paris, some dealers actually
distributing the supplies to dealers by
automobiles. The drugs ultimately are
delivered to users in various guises,
sometimes hidden in bOuquets Of vio-
let's or other flowers, often by women
and girls posing as flowers sellers.
Montmartre is another great. drug
using center, many actresses and dom
imondaines of that quarter being ad-
dicted to the habit Recently an ape,
the property of Montmartre woman,
who died of drug-uslng, was found to
be a confirmed cocaine fiend.
The French government is making
the most serious attempt yet to stop,
or at least reduce TO the minimum, the
dope habit. While it is admitted that
it is practically impossible to stop all
illicit traffic in drugs, the aim of the
authorities is to make all access to
the pois0ns so risky that new victims
will not disappear. So, as soon as the
hopeless drunkards disappear, France,
at least, win be practically free from
the vice. r +