The Hope pioneer., 1922-03-23

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? How?
The peril Of these narcotics, breed
ing crime and breaking down the ma
tion's health and potentiality, is driv-
ing federal and city governments to
extreme measures to check and blot
out the evil.
Smuggling Of narcotics is as syste-
matte and as we'll organized on busi-
ness lines as the smuggling OF liquor.
Like the latter, there is no 'interna-
tional ring'-no single drug king
but the big smugglers work in concert
for their mutual protection.
In 1920 opium, legally imported,
amounted to 100000 pounds from
England and 81, 400 pounds from ia
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
caine comes from South America, most
OF it via Europe; it is derived from the
Coca Erythro&ylum plant.
Danzig Smuggling Center.
The free city Of Danzig and cities in
Belgium and Italy are also smuggling
centers.
Synthetic cocaine is the newest men,
ace. DIR. Carlton Simon, special deputy
police commissioner of New York, says
an agent he sent abroad found that
German chemists have made it coin
mercially possible to manufacture CO.
caine as coal-tar byproduct.
This drug, the most popular among
addicts, is being smuggled into Amer
lea in amounts far in excess Of natural
production" says Doctor Simon.
A great deal of crude opium Is
brought into this country, manufac-
tured into morphine and heroin, and
then shipped to Canada or Mexico. All
track Of it having thus been lost, it 10
smuggled back into this country.
Vieing with the big snlugglers, who
bring in trunks and bags filled with
drugs, are those who use forged per-
mits to withdraw narcotics in bulk
from government bond.
This is an important source OF con-
traband drugs. In Detroit a forged
permit for 1,6OO ounces of gum opium
was seized recently.
Thrown From Ships.
Paralleling liquor smuggling, 10000
cans of cocaine were thrown Off a
steamer approaching New York harbor.
and seized by revenue officers before
a confederate's launch could retrieve
them.
Ships frequently throw off water
proof bags, each containing 100 ounces
Of Illicit drugs.
Governme.t agents arrested Brook
lyn letter carrier who had blue paper
package, made by London chemist
for the italian trade, containing three
and one-half ounces of cocaine. A
hundred such packages had been slnug-
gled into the country in bulk, totaling
$500 ounces.
In the last few months $25,OOO worth
Of narcotics were seized on a British
freighter, great quantity Of cocaine
was found in olive oil barrels on q
French steamer, steward on the
steamer Finland was arrested and
$4,000 worth Of cocaine seized, and
$150,0O0 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 were shot and 327 prison.
ers taken. Of whom two officers, nine
sailors and dock guard were convict
ed and sent to 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 q consignment of drugs
which sailors or passengers are bring
ing in for smugglers," he says.
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