The Washington times., 1922-05-10
HOW NEW YORK
ADD|CTS OBTAIN
|. DRUGREvEALED
Rich Patrons Sneak Furtively
To East Side for
Supplies.
By MARGERY REX.

lawn DICdhS ulithy VII Sio
lower East Side Of New
York. Yet the few fashion
ables who come down Sunday
mornings from the upper
stretches Of this same East
Side, and, for that matter,
the West Side of this big
city manage to find their way
about. ae4xes
Gray and Deserted.
Between s and 7 a. m. on any
Sabbath day Rivington, Delaney
and Ridge streets are gray and
deserted. Only a pushcart ven
dor here and there preparing his
stock of fruit and candies for the
days business. Now and then an
officer on his post.
The well-dressed visitors who
step cautiously out of the
limousines and cabs seem out of
place. Have they come down to
see the sun rise. Surely these
strangers, accustomed to more
expensive ozone do not travel
down to get a Whit Of fresh
morning air, for this is laden only
with the odors of poverty, fear,
and honest sweat.
Ir--lx. nx..,-. 0k..n.s
With her escort a richly gowned
woman hurries down a side street
A shifty.looking character, seeinR
them. becomes hopeful. He slides
into a doorway. They follow him
Uptown money IL exchanged foi
downtown narcotics.
Not clear, sweet air. but a Whit
OF something much more danger
ously stimulating Is the object OF
these early morning quests.
This is one phase Of the narcotic
drug using situation today.
How Work Is Passed.
Here II is that many addicts gel
their weeks supply OF drugs. De
tectives, usually alert for this
stealthy trade. have gone off duty al
this hour, as the guests Of the
neighborhood are we'll aware.
Each week the address OF the
plant" is different. Friday or Sat
urday evening word is passed as e
the location Of the new place. Per
haps the mysterious phone agen'
will call on your private wire pleas
antly and briefly enough with that
friends address you wanted" Or II
may be a chauffeur. waiter or cab
aret performed in the night resort
who passes along the tip.
Desire for drugs bridges all diff
ferences OF social position and
wealth. 1t is a greater leveller than
love or war. Dainty women, who
shudder at the wrong scent in Their
bath salts, who cannot endure riding
in the fetid air of the subway
gladly go into a poor neighborhoot
where vicious parasites practice
their trade among the poor and un
suspecting Citizenry OF the section
We hear OF high class" and
low class" drug sddicts. but listen
to what Ralph II. Oyler, Fedora
Narcotic Commissioner, has TO say
of that grouping:
There is no such thing as a
high class addict" he says, EN-
phatically.
"A dope tiend is a dope fiend-
the only difference is that some
have money.
mot all dope fiends are crimi
dope.fiends. They need the fals'
nerve a narcotic lends them"
Would Stop Supply.
NJ n
eral we turn to consideration o.
the nations new problem. the i'm
mense amount OF opium-S00 tons
just shipped out OF Japan and 81
IBERIA and bound undoubtedly for the
United States.
They're bringing opium to th'
United States, as though we hac
not enough human wrecks already
from foul drugs; just as though M
murder had ever been committed
with the false strength added by q
sniff: as though no mother hat
ever made her baby an addict
through her own disgusting habit.
Only one way remains to prevent
spread of addiction. 1t seems 9
simple way. But will it ever b,
possible? Mr.. Oyler says:
Make 1t hard for people to gel
the stuff; make 1t hard for this gen
Grafton to get It. and thus save the
next"
And then this Federal commits
sioner said a thing that may SOUND
cruel. But before you call him un
feeling, think a bit.
Il don't care II depriving addicti
OF drugs does cause suffering"
One thinks at once OF the terribl,
desire Of the addict The pains ths'
cramp his limbs. The nausea OF G
racked system. The chills and fever
that alternate In torturing him. Tht
itching that feels like millions o.
tiny darts piercing his skin. AND
yet
Suffering Would Pay.
Being deprived" Mr.. Oyler ex
plains. "can save the addict and pre-
vent sufferings of others. II they
couldn't get drugs at least SO pei
cent of the addicts would cure them
selves; they would have to, and ono,
free would want to save others from
the same awful fate.
AS things are now, nine addict,
out OF ten die as addicts. With
hn 20 -. a.