Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1918-10-17
MINISTER OBJECTS
TO DRUG STATEMENT
NOT BEING TRUE FACTS
Maintains That Dope" Does Not
Come In AS Liquor
Goes Out
QUOTES INVESTIGATION
BY HIGH AUTHORITY
Vital Difference Between Doc
tors Prescription And Saloon
keepers Prescription

In an interview with the Rev DR.. II.
W. Burgan. this morning, that clergy
man. who is pastor of the First Metho-
dist Episcopal Church, had the follow
ing to say TO a representative of the
Capital on the question of dope"
creeping in as liquor goes out of public
usage, matter now being generally
discussed in the public press.
DR.. Burgan said
Il read your editorial in yesterdays
Capital entitled. Prohibit Drugs
endorse much in il, but must disagree
with the statement in. the opening
sentence which reads, The liquor in
terests are right in maintaining that
as liquor goes out, dope comes in
This is not true TO the facts. A few
weeks ago Secretary of the Treasury
McAdoo ordered an investigation of
the drug habit in this country Con-
gressman Rainey was made chairman
of the committee appointed to make
the investigation. On page 1868 OF
the Congressional Record he de-
clares
The gentleman from California
always does in matters he investi-
gates himself. the results of the in
vestigation conducted by the Treas
ury Committee, of which | am chair
man, in the matter OF the increase of
the number of dope fiends in the
United States. That committee has
reached the conclusion that there are
now at least one thousand addicts in
this country, but the greater number
of them and the greater increase i'm
the number of addicts have occurred
in the cities of this land where there
have been saloons in every block.
This number has increased alongside
of the saloons. They have gone right
along with the saloons
Il am sure" continued the minis
ter that the report of this investigat-
ing committee is more trustworthy
than the statements of the liquor in
terests.
While | am on this subject" DR..
Burgan said, permit me to add that
ii was reported to me on Monday night
that a gentleman in Annapolis, whose
business it is TO arrest yiolators of the
liquor law, made the statement that
the law was being winked at while the
influenza is prevalent here. | am ask
ing through the columns OF your paper
who gave this officer authority TO wink
at Federal law? To be perfectly
frank in the matter | at once COM
municated with the Federal authori-
ties at Washington, inquiring if any
such order had been sent here. The
public may rest assured that some OF
the citizens who visited Washington
to ask that the saloons be closed i'm
this city will not hesitate to go again,
and go often if necessary, in order to
have the present anti-liquor law re-
spected and enforced, not according
to the personal view of any particular
officer but in harmony with the wishes
of the Secretary Of the Navy.
Furthermore" the clergyman said,
conditions are a thousand times bet
ter in this city since the saloons have
been closed. Lately, however, there
seems TO be a little lukewarmness in
detecting yiolators. Any winking at
this law and its enforcement as was
suggested by this gentleman will be
resented by the dry advocates i'm An
napolis and viii be investigated
promptly and in a thorough-going
manner"
The Capital man asked Dr. Burgan
his opinion of the necessity for the
use of alcoholic stimulants as a medi-
cine in the present "hu" epidemic.
The doctor replied:
Concerning liquor and the flu it
might be well to quote portion of an
editorial in this mornings Baltimore
Sun. The Sun has never been dry
enough to be noticeable with the un-
aided eye so this is not fanaticaT pro-
hibition testimony The editorial is
headed, Alcohol, Medicine and Re
ligion.' and the part / wish to quote,
reads:
There is vital difference between
doctors prescription and a saloon
keepers prescription and it would be
well for every one to go slow on the
latter unless they wish to put them
selves on the list of victims (of in
f1uenzal