The Washington times., 1923-01-21
CLERGY JOINS
HEARST DRIVE
5. ON DRUG EVIL
Sermons Today VIII Center
Around Death of Reid and
dope" Menace to Nation
LAuD STARS BRAVE FIGHT
Pastors Believe His Death Will
Aid Greatly in Banishing
Narcotics From the Country

The clergy Of Washington to.
day win enter the lists with the
Hearst newspapers in q FIGHT
against the alarmingiy widespread
use of narcotics in the United
States, which win not end until
the menace has been dissipated.
In the tragic death Of "Wally"
Reid, ministers of various denona-
nations find q weapon fitted to
their hands, They draw lessons
81 great value from the fieht the
late star Of moviedom put up
AGAINST the thing that broke him
physically and brought him TO his
daathbed.
'PUT UP GREAT FIGHT"
Many preachers have based their
Sunday sermons on Reds fall, his
moral comeback. while physically
failing. and his end. conQuerer Of
the besetting vice, but victim Of
bodily Decentralization, Others will
touch more briefly upon the Reid
case and the Iaw-defying importation
and circulation OF deadly drugs that
made It possible.
OF many clergymen asked for an
epiuion Of the case yesterday there
60 say OF 'sWally's" fight, and they
expressed COMMUNICATION for Dorothy
Davenport Reid. the wife, and the
two children left eshind.
I give you these thoughts on this
tragic affair" said the Rev. Jason
Mobie Pierce, Of First CCngrehat ionnl
Church. First, Wallace Held put
Up q great fight and while he lost
his body he saved his soul. Second,
drugs are not our friends but our
enemies; they come Ia the glise Of
friendship and alienation, and their
power u not realised until too late.
when We find them q curse instead
of Z blessing. Third, every man
who works hard needs more strength
than that which comes from food
arising from fellowship, from love
= greater than any physical strength.
1t - this strength and love that God
freely gives to ell his children"
LESSON TO WORLD.
~ regard this case as one pa
thetie indeed" the Rev. Henry Al
len Topper, % First Baptist Church
declared. Some time ago we knew
q this young man al splendid
specimen Qf 4hka1ea mannheim hnG
his mentality and moral aspirations
were high. His many friends hoped
not only that his would b ~ pril.
@Jndef iAceesant work, be de-
ye1oped q nervous trouble and was
Led to form q habit that. proved
his undoing. His death, however,
win bring q blessing to our land
and to the world. It shows the
futlility ef q habit that grows In
power and mastery and how often
q man who has contracted 1t may
struggle with magnificent courage
yet often lose the battle for life.
De Quincy attempted this, and
while to some extent he conquered,
until his brilliant Life ended it was
overahadOWed by the drug habit
formed years before.
II have the deepest sympathy for
the wife and little ones and sim
cerely pray and hope that the
choicest blessings may crown their
lives
LAUDs HEARST CAMPAIGN.
ar desire to speak in terms of
uustinted praise OF the Hearst press
that is leading 90 wisely and earn
estly in the fight against this
menace. and the habit which is be-
ing formed by some Of our finest
young men and women"
''That the control of this traffic
is absolutely necessary Ii best ex-
emplified by Wallace Reds case,
said the Rev. John c. Ball, Of Metro.
politan Baptist Church, I'VE
should throw around addicts all ade-
ouate safeguards possible and at
tack the traffic at its sources.
heartily commend all the Hearst
papers are doing in this connec.
ZION. I want to pay to Reid the
tribute Of wonderful manhood and
of q fight well fought"