New-York tribune., 1919-08-03
Residents of City Island
Organize Campaign of
Protest Against Influx
of Drug Habit Victims
Mass Meeting Is Called
Menace To Homes and Fam
lies of Residents Is
Seen In Proposed Project

Buxdness men and summer residents
Of City Island will fight Health Com
missioner Copeland's proposed plan to
establish u hospital for drug add:cts
in Pelham Bay Park, it was announced
yesterday.
John Kadel, a lawyer, Of 372 East
i4sth Street, The Bronx, who has been
retained to conduct the campaign of
protest, made known there would be
q mass meeting of City Islanders to-
morrow night in Thwaite's Community
Hall, City Island Avenue, to crystal
ize opposition to the project.
Mr.. Kadel said both the summer
colonists and all-the- year. round in
habitants Of the island strenuously
object to having can atmosphere Of
misfortune and mmorality at their
very gates" William Warrenberger,
John B. Elsey, Henry Thwaite, John
J. Fox, Peter Ewald and Dr.. John B.
Condor are among those who will lead
in the attempt to block establishment
Of the hospital.
Camp In Path of Residents
"In order to reach City Island" he
went on, "it is necessary to pass
through the camp Commissioner Cope
land hopes to use for addicts. 1t is
a matter of record that so per cent of
drug victims are men and women with
criminal instincts, and it is fair
assumption that the presence of such
persons will not tend to elevate the
atm osphere of beautiful Pelham Bay
Park or City Island.
- Invasion of the park for such a
purpose would be an invasion of public
rights The people were willing to
give up the park two years ago for a
United States. Naval barracks. But
now the governments negotiations for
returning the park to the city are all
but completed, the sudden announce
ment Of Commissioner Copeland's in
tention to use it as haven for drug
addicts has aroused the residents of
City Island and Westchester to frenzy
THE plan to house the addicts with
out court commitment is most unsatls-
factory. City Islanders see visions Of
their homes being looted and members
Of their families molested. Unless
held there by court order, there is
diets in the hospital"
Henry ri. Gieger, secretary to Bronx
Park Commissioner Hennessy, said
yesterday his department had no off,
cial knowledge of the intention to turn
over to the Health Department the
property now occupied by the Pelham
Bay Naval Training Station.
Park Officials Not Consulted
"There have been negotiations re-
garding the amount the government
should pay to restore the park lands" )"
he said, "but no determination has been
reached AS far as the Park Depart
ment Of The Bronx is aware the naval
authorities still control the property"
Health Commissioner Copeland could
not be reached last night to comment
on the City Island opposition.
The naval hospital at Pelham Bay,
when fitted up at an initial outlay Of
about 10000, can accommodate about
900 drug addicts. 1t was expected the
first patients would be admitted within
two weeks.
DR.. Solomon Rothman, a physician.
of lot West Eighty eighth Street, and
Louis and William Cohen, druggists,
OF l6 Amsterdam Avenue. convicted in
the United States District Court Fri
day Of conspiracy to violate the anti
narcotic drug law, will be sentenced
by Judge Rufus E. Foster August IA.
"This conviction will add impetus to
our work." said Major Daniel L. Por-
ter, supervising internal revenue agent
for New York, yesterday. "We know
now the courts are ready to support
our efforts to bring drug tratficking
doctors and druggists to justice"
Meaning of Law Made Clear
Major Porter further clarified the
situation in a letter to A. r. Park
nf Mor
cotic Research, At West Forty second
Street.
Mr.. Parkhurst pointed out that the
uncertainty over Interpretation Of the
Harrison act has caused many reputa-
BILE physicians to refrain altogether
from prescribing narcotics and many
druggists to refuse to fill lawful pre-
"This," Mr.. Parkhurst added, worked
unnecessary hardship upon thousands
Of unfortunates whose lives virtually
stimulants. Major Porter's statement
should go long way toward allaying
this fear"
Major Porter's statement follows:
1.-THE Harrison narcotic law, as con-
strued by the courts, gives physician
no authority to prescribe narcotic
drug for the purpose of satisfying an
addict's appetite for the drug; nor is
a druggist authorized to dispense a
narcotic under such conditions to an
addict. Narcotic drugs can be dis
pensed only in the course of physi-
clans professional practice to a bona
fIde patient and for legitimate medical
usos.
"In case an addict is actually suffer-
ing from a proven incurable disease,
In the treatment Of which narcotic
drug is necessary to alleviate pain
caused by said incurable disease and
rot merely the result Of craving for
the drug, 1t may be dispensed upon
prescription duly written by a reputable
physician where such prescription
has the Endorsement of the physician
to the effect that the drug is to be dis
penscd to such patient in the treat
ment OF an incurable disease"