The Washington times., 1923-05-04
SPEAKERS
CLASH On
PLAN
Ex-Health Officer Woodward
Opposes WheeIer's Proposal
at Conference.

Wayne B. Wheeler, general
counsel for the Anti-Saloon
League, and DIR. William G.
Woodward, former Health Of
ficer of the District of Columbia,
enlivened the session of the Ma
tional Anti-Narcotic Conference
at the New Willard today.
Sweeping statements that pro-
hibition and the fight against
the drug traffic must be blended
into a single crusade fors law
enforcement were made by Mr..
Wheeler.
Seen as Mistake.
Many. delegates, including DR.. d.
J. Mccarthy; of Philadelphia, believe
1t would be fatal to the success of
the antisdrug campaign to link it
in the public mind with prohibition,
and there was hearty applause when
DIR. Woodward, Immediately follow
ing Mr.. Wheeler in addressing the
conference, said:
Laws have never cured our diff
culties and never will. 1 say this
with all due respect to Mr.. Wheeler.
/ believe it is essential to have a
community that not only will enact
laws and enforce laws, but that will
live up to Them
Must Remove Craving.
DIR. Woodward made a plea for a
deeper treatment of the drug habit
than is involved in the limitation of
opium production or in measures
taken to prevent smuggling. He
said it would be necessary to re-
move the craving for drugs from
the minds of individuals and that
this could only be done by educa-
tional processes.
Our Government will fall into
chaos and anarchy if we make a
failure of prohibition enforcement"
declared Mr.. Wheeler. "Our Gov
eminent is founded in law. The
Eighteenth Amendment to the Con-
stitution has been passed by State
legislative bodies and by Congress.
If it falls into contempt or is not
enforced, it necessarily will bring all
law into disrepute."
Attacks Rum Running.
The Anti-Saloon League spokes-
man said the authority of the Fed
eral Government in suppressing
rum running" should go out far
beyond the thfee-mile limit, and
said there was nothing in interna-
tional law which would prevent the
United States from prosecuting its
fight against 'hootch" bucaneering
out into the open seas.
DIR. Amos o. Squires, chief physi-
nj IF
conference that narcotic drugs are
= the greatest single cause given at
Sing Sing prison for their COM
hitting of crime
DIR. Squires believes the manu-
facture of heroin should be pro.
hibited. II is no longer needed by
- the medical profession. He described
it's deadly effect in Initiating the
personality and inhibiting the will"
He said that less than 2 per cent
of the drug addicts at Sing Sing
began the use of dope because of
pain or lingering illness, the others
having formed the habit because
the drug was peddleda to them-first
of all free by the vendors, SO that
the practice should become firmly
fixed.
DIR. Squires' Proposal.
There is in my opinion only one
way to lesson the drug evil" con
tinues DR.. Squires. THAT is by
carrying out in detail the pro
visions of the joint resolutions passed
by the last Congress limiting the
production of habit forming drugs
and the raw material from which
they are made to the amount
actually required for strictly medi
cal and surgical purposes, because
! firmly believe that if drugs are
produced they will find their way
into the country, either legitimately
or illegitimately, and into the hands
of the unfortunate victims"
Mrs. Laura B. Evans, of Taylor
Vile, ILL.,, presided
The afternoon session is discuss
ing THE Place of the Church and
University in the Fight Against the
Narcotic and Other Evils" and
among the speakers are Owen T.
kellar, of this city, and Judge
Stanton Peele, formerly Chief Jus
tice of the Court of Claims. The
Rev. Charles Wood, of the Church
of the Covenant. presided.
: At tonight's session Dr. Harvey
w. Wiley and Commissioner of Cor
rection Frederick w. Wallis. OF
New York, will speak The con
ference closes tomorrow with .
round table discussion of details OF
theh campaign against narcotics.