The Washington times., 1922-05-15
NARCOTICS ACT
SEEN As SAVIOUR
j. 8. ADD|CTS
Dope Ring Will Be Practically
Wiped Out When President
Approves Measure.
BY ANNIE LAURIE.
The Miller bill Is a bill no long'

The Miller bill Is a bill no longer.
It is a law, and a good, strong,
practical, drastic, narcotic proof law
at that. Just as soon as the Presi-
dent signs his name to the measure
It will go into effect.
1t will not stop in five minutes
all smuggling OF opium. 1t Will
not drive out Immediately the Shiny
traffic in cocaine and heroin-but
II will affect the opium and cocaine
markets of the world so powerfully
that the drug ring will know that
something has happened that Is of
great and intense interest to the
whole traffic.
The Japanese opium monopoly,
which had 5000 tons OF opium ready
to ship, mostly to American ports,
is probably busy at this very in.
slant looking up new shipping
points.
And certain OF our own great
narcotic drug factories right here
in the United States will be rather
puzzled to know what to do about
the export and import clauses In
that new law.
The Awakening.
Not one dealer in human misery
and human degradation but knows
by this time that the people OF the
United States are awake 1t last to
the evil of the drug traffic and
that they are not only awake, but
in deadly and practical, determined
earnest.
The best thing about this law Is
that the whole narcotic drug situa-
t. yio fNN4 90
the head executives OF the three
States Government.
Secretary Hoover, Secretary Mel
lon and Secretary Hughes-it will
take a hardy representative OF tho
dope ring" to imagine that he
can either persuade or intimidate
any one OF these men.
The Narcotic Board OF Control Is
made up OF the Secretary Of Com
merce, the Secretary of State and
the Secretary Of the Treasury, and
this board, under the new law. has
complete control OF all exporting
and all importing OF narcotics of
any kind whatsoever. And that
means something, when you under
stand that the board can stop any
shipment to any country IL condi-
tions in that country are not salts
factory to the board.
Camouflage won't do.
Promises must be something
more than promises.
Straight goods laid on the table,
man tashion-that's what the new
law in regard to narcotics means.
And II means more than that.
It means that in time there will
49,
which will wipe out the whole mar
and twig, by regulating, not only
the buying and selling but the
planting and harvesting of opium
and Of the cocoa plant.
Heavy Penalties.
And this will be the last and best
work Of the Board of Control. For
what other body can plan and work
out such a great idea as can this
representative group Of men?
Smuggling-oh, yes-for the pres
ent. there will still be-smuggling.
But the Federal authorities are
never been after them before. Pub
lie opinion Is standing behind local
authorities in every city and de-
manding that the local laws be en-
forced to the very letter.
Any chief OF police in any Ameri-
can city can drive every drug
peddler out Of his own town within
six days-if he really wants to.
Five thousand dollars and ten
years in the penitentiary-these are
the penalties under the new law for
buying or selling or even possessing
narcotics of any sort, except those
which can be proved to be a medical
necessity.
A few ten-year sentences, a few
determined collections of a few
81, 900 fines, and drug smuggling
will not be a popular pastime.
With the great step ahead taken
by the Miller bill, II is possible now
to hope that some day the world will
say:
America has set the drug slaves
Of the earth free"