The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1922-01-20

America is being flooded with tn,
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 AMI breaking down the ma
rion's health and potentiaity, 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 bust
ness lines as the smuggling OF liquor.
Like the latter, there is no ''interna-
tional ringf-no single drug king
but the big slnuggers work in concert
for their mutual protection.
LII 1920 opium, legally imported,
amounted to 100000 pounds from
England and 94,4O9 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 Erythroxylum plant
Danzis Smuggling Center.
The free city of Danzig and cities in
Belgium and Italy are also smuggling
centers.
Synthetic cocaine is the newest men,
ace. DR.. Carlton Simon, special deputy
police commissioner of New York says
an agent he sent abroad found that
German chemists have made it COM
nIercially possible to manufacture CO.
caine as IL coal-tar byproduct.
This drug, the most popular among
addicts. is being Struggled into Amer
lea i'll amounts far in excess of natural
says Doctor Simon.
A great deal of crude opium is
brought into this country, manufac-
tured into morphine and heroin, and |
then shipped 10 Canada or Mexico. All |
track Of it having thus been lost, it is
back into this country.
Vieing with the big smugglers, who
oring in trunks and bags filled with
irugs, are those who use forged per-
nits to withdraw narcotics in bulk
rom government bond.
This is an important source of con-
raband drugs. In Detroit a forged
permit for 1000 ounces of gum opium
vas seized recently.
Thrown From Ships.
Paralleling liquor smuggling, 10000
ans of cocaine were thrown off a
teamer approaching New York harbor,
nd seized by revenue officers before
confederate's launch could retrieve
hem.
Ships frequently throw off water
roof bags each containing 100 ounces
f Illicit drugs.
Government agents arrested Brook
IN letter carrier who had a blue paper
ackage, made by a London chemist
Or the Italian trade, containing three
nd one-half ounces of cocaine. A
undred such packages had been snug
led into the country in bulk, totaling
500 ounces.
In the last few months $4,000 worth
{ narcotics were seized on a British
Fighter, a great quantity Of cocaine
as found in olive oil barrels on a
rench steamer, a steward on the
Gamer Finland was arrested and
10000 worth of cocaine seized, and
$4,000 worth of cocaine was conf1s-
tied on an Italian steamer.
The biggest raid on smugglers oc-
lrred in September, when government
rents boarded the Greek steamer
ing Alexander in New York harbor.
We sailors were shot and 327 prison
S taken, of whom two officers, nine
ilors and a dock guard were convict
and sent to prison.
Doctor Simon estimated $4,000
orth Of Illicit drugs are sold daily in s
e street market of New York.
Nearly every ship coming into New
,rk has consignment of drugs
lich sailors or passengers are bring
IN, Fl. n