Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1922-02-11
Greatest Quantity in History
Now Entering Country.
SMUCCLERS BRING IN dope"
Federal and City Governments Driven
to Extreme Measures TO Check and
Blot Out Evil-Smuooline Of Nareot-
les 10 as Systematic and Well Organ
lied on Business Lines az Smuggling
Of LIquor-Foroed Permits Another
Source Of Evil.

America is being flooded with the
greatest quantity OF Illicit drugs in his
tory. writes Edward Thierry In the
Chicago Post.
Where do they come from? Howf
The peril OF these narcotics. breed
ing crime and breaking down the ma
tons health and Potentially. IS driv-
ing federal and city governments TO
extreme measures to check aud blot
out the evil.
Smuggling of narcotics is as syste-
matte and as well organized ON bust
ness lines us the smuggling of liquor.
Like the latter. there is no "interna-
tional ring single drug king"
but the big smugglers work i'll concert
for their mutual protection.
In 1920 opium. legally imported.
amounted TO l.l000O pounds from
England nud -, 49, pounds from Ja-
pan.
Struggled opium. and its derivatives.
morphine and heroin. in most cases
originate aS manufactured articles in
England. after the poppy leaves are
brought from China and India. Co.
calne comes from South America. most
OF it via Europe; IL is derived from the
Coca ErythroNylum plant.
Danzlg Smuggling Center.
The free city OF Danzg and cities in
Belgium and Italy are also smuggling
centers.
Synthetic cocaine Is the newest men
ace. Or. Carlton Simon, special deputy
police commissioner OF New York. Says
an agent he sent abroad found that
German chemists have made Ii COM
mercially possible To manufacture co
caine a. coal-iar byproduct.
This drug ihe most popular among
addicts Is being struggled into Amer
lea in amounts far in excess OF natural
production" says Doctor Simon.
\ great deal of crude opium Is
brought into this "ountry, ma&afac.
tured into morphine and heroiu. AMI
then shipped 10 Canada or Mexico. All
track of It having thus been lost. it is
Smuggled back into this country.
Nieing with the big smugglers whn
bring In trunks and bags filed with
drugs. are those who use forged per
miis to withdraw narcotics Ia bulk
from government bond.
This is an important source of con
traband drugs In Detroit II forged
permit for 800 ounces of gum opium
was seized recently.
Thrown From Ships.
parail4iing lian"r >nuggling 10000
cans Of cocaine were thrown 81 4
steamer approaching New York harbor,
and seized by revenue officers before
a confederale's launch could retrieve
them.
Ships frequently throw of water
proof bags. each containing 100 ounces
II illicit drugs.
Government agents arrested Il Brook
yn letter carrier who had blue paper
package, made by London chemist
for the Italian trade, containing three
and one-half ounces of cocaine
hundred such packages had been SNUG.
gled into the country Ia bulk. totaling
$500 ounces.
In the last few months So. 900 worth
OF narcotics We're seized on British
frelghter. great quantity of cocaine
was found in olive oil barrels on
French steamer steward on the
steamer Finland was arrested and
$4,000 worth of cocaine seized and
$4,000 worth Of cocaine was confis-
Gated on an Italian steamer.
The biggest raid on smugglers oc
cured in September. when government
agents boarded the Greek steamer
King Alexander in New York harbor.
Five sailors we're shot and 327 prison.
ers taken. OF whom two officers. nina
sailors and dock guard We're convict.
ed and sent 10 prison.
Doctor Simon estimated $4,000
worth of Illicit drugs are sold daily in
the street market of New York.
Nearly every ship coming into New
York has consignment of drugs
which sailors or passengers are bring
L. a.. L..