The Washington times., 1922-12-31
By MRS. DOROTHY DAv-
EXPORT REID,

Known Film Star.
(Copyrisht. 1929. by the Los Angeles
Examiner. All reproduction
rights reserved.)
This is to be the intimate,
personal story of a brave
mans tremendous, tragic, tri-
umphant fight against the
greatest curse of humanity
dope! 1t is to be, I hope, at
once a vindication and a
warning. It Is to be the story
of Wally Reid, whom every
one loves and none more than
l, his wife.
say it is a personal story SIM
ply because it is, Just that. 1t Is
not story Of the laughabe "hor-
rible Hollywood" which some per-
sons believe exists out here in the
green hills Of California. 1t is
not a story Of the "debased" mo-
ton picture industry which some
so-called reformers are doubtless
we'll paid, wrongfully to portray.
HOLLYWOOD NOT TO BLAME.
The story of Wally Reid is the
story Of a great personal tragedy
the story of a personal, isolated
case. And I may say with the ut.
most truth that I know of no par
allel in Hollywood, nor in all the
picture industry.
/ defy any person to say and
prove that pictures, or that Holly
wood. caused Wally Reid to fall VIC
tim to the curse Of drugs. 1t sim
ply Is not true. Any such asser.
ton is silly.
enter into the narration of Wal.
ly's story, then, with three objec-
tives in view.
First, would like the world,
papers, to know the true, COM
plete. unblemished, hitherto unpub-
lished story Of Wally's mon
umental battle against the mar
cotic demon. 1 will try to picture
Wally as he was before the ten
tacles Of the dragon gripped him; as
he was, as he Is. and as ! believe
he will be-a man all through.
Knowing all. hope you who read
will Judge whether he should be
pitied or censured, ruthlessly crush.
ed or manfully helped. knocked
down or aided in his struggle to
come back. I have no fear OF the
verdict.
SOME BOY MAY PROFIT.
Second, I hope that some Of you
will profit by the lesson. I shall
not attempt to write morals into
this story; that would be foolish
and probably futile. But should
Wally's story keep one boy from
the clutches Of drugs, the path
of ruin, my work will have been
worth the while.
Third. I wish you would believe
me when 1 say from my heart that
Wally's case can by no stretch or
Imagination or biased judgment be
construed as typical OF Hollywood,
of the motion picture colony. or
Of the motion picture industry. There
has been so much printed about the
sins of horrible Hollywood, and it
a. really so funny to us who know
the truth. Wally is big enough.
wan enough, to shoulder his own
burden and to rise from his own
Salis I ask only minimum or
haIief. a maximum OF reason.
AIso may I ask understanding
Cor INV reasons in telling the truth
.ho,,t wally's condition to the pub.
iic via the press? 1t has come to
ma from various sources that l,
his wife, should have been the last
one to admit conditions That Is
onA way to look at 1t, but remem.
ber that, as I write this, my boy
IN living at deaths door and l
couldn't see him go with the nor
rihIe clouds Of rumor, innuendo,
.nd gossip hanging over his name.
Tor thew were 90 far from the truth
and made OF him a person deserv.
ine Of scorn and suspicion instead
M. AZ know he deserves, only
praise and sympathy.
RETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH.
I have only one regret. That is
that I and not Wally must reveal
these secrets. II Wally were able,
/ know in my heart that he would
ha the first to tell the truth that
neople might know, and knowing,
Judge.
write this nervously, within
.o,,nd OF the private telephone that
iesds to the sanitarium where
WalIy swings. hour by hour. be-
tween life and death. Each shrill
neei on that telephone may be a
summons to his deathbed. My
babies play in the next room
Rilly. my own, and Betty, the
vounester we took into our home
some months ago. Their voices
come through the door like a
muted symphony OF happiness
vet I wait, tense, for that dreaded
summons on the phone.
No man, however learned, Is able
TO say that Wally will live. We