Evening star., 1923-02-11
'EXH0RTS. CHURCHES
T0J0|N dope" WAR
Christian Religion Only Rem
edy for Drug Addicts, Says
Salvation Army Leader.

Believing the Christian religion to
be the only positively demonstrated
cure for the drug habit, the Salvation
Army yesterday formally called upon
! the Federation of Churches of Christ
, of America. which includes seventeen
leading denominations, to Join with
! it iii concerted movement toward
! the elimination OF the evil and the
J redemption of ''the million or more
/ addicts in the United States
The invitation. in the form Of a let
! ter signed by Commissioner Thomas
Estill of New York. head of all Sal
f., walton Amy activities in the eastern
, and southern states. was sent to the
federation In New York city after re-
ports on the growing seriousness of
the situation had been received from
all parts of the country at the annual
congress of the eastern social depart
ment, now in session here.
Workers Well Trained.
tention to the thousands of successful
cures through Christian grace in Sal
walton Army institutions throughout
the country as contrasted with the
admitted citations of medicine and
law to cope with the evil. 1t urges
personal service on systematic basis
on the part of all protesting Chris
tlans in cooperation with the police
the judges and other public authori-
ties. Commissioner Estill wrote:
! The eastern congress of the So
cial department now in session In
Washington is composed of men
whose work brings them into con
tact with the nitiful victims of the
habit. Much OF their work is with
class of unfcrtunates among
whom the drug habit has seemed to
hnd it's greatest grip. Therefore.
they speak and act from actual cX-
PEI iieEce and observation. The, have
addressed to me communication
grave matter to the attention of the
churches. and includes the following G
(; points:
That We appreciate and fully
the restriction of the traffic through
! legislation, and the efforts to lessen
the production of opium and its deri-
vatlves throughout the world:
but that they are thinking still
i-more keenly Of the million or more
victims who have already fallen un-
=, der the baneful influence of the habit
and who are waiting for some one to
announce the means Of liberation.
| That medical science and law en-
forcement authorities stand appalled,
and bafled hy this problem and that
the only permanent cure in the world
IS the power of divine grace in the
Heart and mind of the Individual
! Every officer and member of the
Salvation Army. and every true
Christian of whatever organization or
denomination subscribes to the fact
that divine grace will triumph over
any problem even after every other
been proved in thousands of cases in
| Salvation Army institutions and in
other denominations that the incul-
cation of Christian grace will posi-
| lively liberate the individual from
this unspeakable habit and in that
way solve the problem by eliminat-
ing the demand.
IT therefore urge with all the ear
| nestness at my command that the
churches bring their tremendous force
| into full co-operaion with the public
, authorities and that the persona
services Of Christian teachers and
preachers be enlisted in bringing
fortunates who.. in the bottom ot
their hearts are crying out to us fol
aid.
Christian Service Needed.
Perhaps this might be done BY
I church committees in every commu.
! nifty working in cooperation with the
mayor, the district attorney. the
judges or other public officials. Il
| will require genuine Christian serv.
ice in visiting the courts. the jails
the hospitals, police stations. free dis,
pensaries and other. centers where
these pitiful beings apply or are
| brought for help.
II would not attempt to lay down
a definite program. This will have
to be worked out locally But ! dc
urge that Christian people be imme-
diately and thoroughly aroused to a
retaliation of what this habit means
to our civilization and to their per-
sonal responsibility for service anG
action.
THE Salvation Army has been en-.
gagged in this kind of work for years
but we are ready and eager to CO.
operate in any concerted movemen,
which will broaden the scope and in
crease the effectiveness of this ac.
tivity.''