The Winslow mail., 1916-08-25
Many London Society Folk Re-
ported Addicted to Pipe and
Other Drug Habits.
TRAFFIC is HARD TO CHECK
Ring, Whose Operations Are World
Moving-Picture Film Tins to
SmuegIe Into the Unit
ed States.

and the extensive use of other drugs,
including cocaine, heroin and ether,
has recently been taken up by London
women of means and many in society
and actresses as we'll.
Eagerness to alleviate the terrible
depression caused by the war has led
many cultured women to seek the con-
ISOLATION of drugs, and this desire has
been cultivated and exploited by a
ring composed largely of Americans,
who maintain opium dens on luxuri-
GUS scale in the West end.
The activities of the ring are not
confined to England. 1t is a serious
business organization, worldwide in
it's ramifcations. Managed by half a
dozen principals it maintains estab-
lished agencies throughout the East,
particularly in China and India, and
also all over the United States, with
headquarters in New York 1t is large
ly imported into New York by means
of personal smuggling. One of the
favorite methods of smuggling is to
conceal the opium in tins containing
moving picture films, which are not
likely to be opened or to be even
under suspicion. The films are shipped
to certain firms who also conduct film
trading agencies, but the drug scheme,
as may be imagined, is the hugely
profitable side of the venture. These
opiumed films have been shipped in
large quantities to New York and up
to the present have escaped detection.
Traffic Hard to Check.
Another means employed is to have
the opium cooked in pellets ready for
use. Thousands of these pellets can be
and are carried in the dresses or cloth.
ing of passengers to New York and
safely delivered to the headquarters
of the ring there.
The men composing the ring have
extensive acquaintance, and it is not
exaggeration to say that during the
last few months scarcely steamship
has left this side for New York with
out one or more carriers of opium
aboard. Stranded Americans have fre
quently been employed, as the differ
ence in price between opium here and
in America enables the ring to give
the carriers not only first-class pass
age, but also good sum Of money be
Sides From what has been learned
the ring has had great luck with its
carriers" who have all got through
safely with the goods"
The authorities, who are aware OF
the existence of the ring" have the
situation, because opium smoking and
drug taking are not prohibited under
the English law. Opium and similar
drugs are not supposed to be sold in
England save through a physicians
certificate and the seller must keep
record Of the sale and the name and
address Of the purchaser, but these
difficulties have been surmounted by
means of tame" druggists and ere
liable wholesalers.
On the question of export, from
which the ring at present receives the
greatest profit, the only means Of pros
ecution is under the merchandise act
and then only if false manifest is
found to have been used.
In the case of opium shipped in
film tins the authorities point out that
it would be extremely dangerous for
them to open every tin, thereby run
ming the risk of spelling invaluable
films on the mere chance that they
contained opium. They say they would
require almost absolute proof before
they would take such a step.
Recently, however, the police in the
London docks have nipped several at
tempts to ship opium out Of the coun'
try fraudulentiy in barrels containing
cheeses or grease. Several Chinese
have been prosecuted and fined, but
the fines were immaterial and the
Chinese only minor factors in the
game.
London Authorities Alarmed.
But the society craze for drug TAX
ing is spreading so rapidly, particular
ly among the better-class women, that
a new dangerous social factor has
arisen with which the authorities are
seriously concerned. Means of crap.
pling with it are now being discussed,
but the suppression of the vice will
require the passage of new laws Civ.
ing the police greater powers than
they now possess.
A few years ago the drug-takug
habit, and particularly opium smoking,
was comparatively rare in England,
save among the Chinese along the
docks In the East end and a small
number of American crooks who fire.
quented dens in the same neighbor-
hood By a system of exchange OF
intelligence the American dope fends
knew Just where to go when they ar
rived in London ahd wanted theif