New-York tribune., 1922-01-21
Publicity First
Step i'm League
Fight g ON Drugs
New Organization to Con-
troll N rcotic Seeks
More Legislation and En-
iOrccment Of the Laws
Morphine Trade Scored
Bishop Manning Presides
at Conference, Which
Hears Details of Traffic

he inaugural conference of the Mar
cctlc Drug Control League. the first
nation wide organization formed i'm
TINS country to campaign against the
use Of cocaine and opium, was held in
tho assembly room of the Colony Club
last night.
Bishop William T. Manning, who pre-
SIDED, briefly set forth the program of
the league. A publicity campaign on a
large scale is to be the first step, to
give the public information as to the
actual menace OF narcotic addiction
mere and abroad. legislative pro-
gram subsequently, will he presented
and assistance Will be given to those
IN charge Of enforcing the drug laws
by special invcstigative work. At tho
same time the organization will bring
pressure to bear upon the Federal ror
crnment to take the lead in renewed
'aterna ational action. especially for the
restriction of poppy cultivation to the
estimated medical demand.
Bishop Brent Tells Of L. S. Exports
y, Nnlet among the speakers were
BISHOP Charles II. Brent, of the Prot
estant Episcopal Diocese Of Western
New York, and Sara Graham Mulhall.
deputy narcotic drug commissioned
under Governor Smith. who was the
principal agitator for the founding of
'nc league. The former devoted his
attention mainly to the international
situation. declaring that this country
has IN the past taken the lead in this
line and to-day is falling behind
IN TINS connection he remarked that
America is to-day the largest manu-
lacturer OF morphine IN the world and
mat Its exports are responsible for
much Of the drug addiction in China
to-day, A subsequent speaker declared
That New York alone makes enough
morphine to supply almost all the
Legitimate demand tor all nations. and
that in 1919 Seattle alone shipped
enough of this derivativc to make GOO
100000 doses.
ME Americans are quick to sec
ideals in the abstract" tho Bishop said.
they arc apt to drop them when their
immediate interests arc touched or
hard work for their realization is re-
CURED. sometimes fear that ideals
arc our amusement. OF late there has
been great falling of in our idealism
an the drug campaign
situation. asserting that recent figures
Fave shown tina tone person in every
seventy in this country is an addict
showing Il condition oncthird AS bad
AS that in China. The total is more
than million and half here. These
arc found not only in the underworld
but among people in high governmental
or judicial positions and leaders in the
professions and in business. she said.
Figures were presented showing that
addiction among Now York criminals
has trebed in the last year.
Blames Legitimate Trade
Miss Mulhall placed the blame for
this condition largely upon the legiti-
mate trade. declaring that while in
office she had found one doctor pre-
scribing 6s,ooo grains Of heroin in
twenty-four days and another prescrib
ing drugs for a thousand patients in
month. She declared that the opium
raffic is not financed by the under
world, but by men of position unable
to resist the temptation of the great
profits which can be made in this line.
The three most definite steps pro-
jectcd by the league at present are the
prohibition of the sale Of heroin, de-
clarcd by physicians to be unnecessary
and injurious; the passing Of model
ndICOllC INV III lulS Stdtc, WIHTe no
such legislation now exists, and de-
nnand that the Federal government in
crease it's appropriation for enforcing
the Harrison law. At present, it was
pointed out. less money is spent to
enforce the law than is derived from
its operation, There are only ITO
agents for the entire country and
only fifteen here.
Besides Bishop Brent and Miss Mu!
hall, the speakers were: DR.. Joseph !.
Silverman, rabbi emeritus Of Temple
EMANUEL; DR.. John f. Brady, chair
man Of the Roman Catholic Hospital
Board; Health Commissioner Royal S.
Copeland, Justice Cornelius Collins, Of
the Children's Court; DR.. Carlton ST.
mon, Deputy Police Commissioner for
the Narcotic Division; Colonel Z. X.
Coulter, director of the Society for the
Prevention of Cruelty to Children: DR..
Alexander Lambert, Joseph P Cham
berlain, of Columbia University; Wal
ter r. Herrck, former Narcotic Drug
Commissioner; Stephen p Anderton,
and Ralph A. Oyler, chief Federal mar
cotic agent here. Each of them took
up the question from different angle
in a fiveminute speech.
W. C1 81 D.a