The Washington herald., 1921-08-28
ITALY HAS STERN NEW LAW
TO CURB SALE OF COCAINE.
Habit Grows Up Since War and Fearful
Results Are Discovered by Police
Investigation.

perched on a high stool ID slipping
cordial; a stout eily. clean shaven
man. bedecked With much jewelry,
fiirts with the pretty money taker
at the desk. The bartender IL
chewing gum, and no one takes
notice OF the lean waiter, who
quietly slips the two 10 lire notes
into his worn purse.
Trick Of seller.
In. the street the other opens the
packet and shaking out a tiny paper
packet neatly folded. pours the
powder into the palm of his hand
then after gazing at IL lovingly.
slowly raises IL to his face and
shifts with evident satisfaction. He
sees another packet OF powder nest
ling between the cigarettes and
sighs contentedly.
This happened yesterday. Today
IL does not happen. The con-
ventual sign leads TO a stoney stare
and shake OF the head. Not after
Bologna, thanks! ] also have re-
morse. ! regret and shall trade no
more"
Certainly in the csntraI part of
Milan the drug was everywhere on
SoAt. an bhC Calc6s a. o4uCCcs
in clubs Of all sorts, in music halls.
tobacco shops, even by house por-
ters who did great business with
many resident clients. Morphia
habitues took to its ust, then the
curious. the weak. the weary, the
worried. the abnormal. the idle and
the rich. 1t became the fashion.
II was smart to carry IL about the
person, in dainty gold or silver re-
ceptacles. Shifts were exchanged.
Blame for Poison.
They tell me IL came from per-
fidious England during the late war,
though others think the elder sis
ter, France. exported il.
A famous Bologna alienist re-
marks that its abuse can hardly be
called a serious social evil. mas
mech as il kills OF the unfit and the
nonmoral. Its victims deserve their
fate. But this is far from true.
Although many cases are known,
there are many mo kept hidden.
Families are ashamed OF pub
licity and hush up the scandals.
Chemists especially in Bologna,
made fortunes. But their days are
over. and great will be their pun
ishment, as many rich. wealthy and
furious families are prosecuting
ruthlessly, would lynch some Of
them il possible. One brokne-down
lad admitted having paid thousands
Of lire to a chemist. and the pa
rents went 20 plead with him. offer
ing more payment IL he would
promise to supply no more. But
he only soffed. Why should he not
sell? II he did not, others would.
and the lad was doomed and could
never break away.
Now Milan's deteC Iives are busy
They are about the smartest in
Italy and for years have been dis
tinEuishing themselves. In one af-
ternoon more than fifty arrests
we're made of dealers. large and
small. and quite as many victims
have been saved from misery, re-
stored to their homes, or tempo
rarily detained. At the central sta
tion q smart youth from Switzer-
land was marched of TO San Fedele.
and on search being made. found
laden with this poison. as with sac
charine. His rooms here were Wis
tied. and a young couple. slaves to
this vice. were rescued just in time
and taken to the infrmary.
Unfortunately. the supply seems
inexhaustible. One is never safe
from it. The other day an English
man, long res dent in a frst-class
hotel. was approached by the di-
rector and introduced to an Italian.
who, well dressed and elegant. said
he was an acting manager. but had
an enormous quantity OF cocaine TO
sell cheaply. He was not a Milan
ese. but felt he could trust an Eng
lishman. Would he join and make
money quickly?
But the police who have this job
on hand are thorough and will not
slacken until they have made a
goodly sweep of smugglers and
large dealers.
Morphia never nourished here
but for the war cocaine would never
have been a fashion.
Copyright, 1911