The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-04-17
Col. Arthur Woods
 Scores Drug Traffic
Former New York Police Commissioner Points Out
 Menace to Country in Book Published

Tt is clear that we are leaning on a broken reed if we rely on bringing smugglers to bay. The only hope lies in keeping the drugs out |of the smugglers' hands altogether" This can be done, MT Woods says,
 by the following methods:
 "First: By control within a na- ton. This means government own- ership or adequate control of the factories that would be permitted to manufacture narcotics.
 Second: By control of interna- tional traffic. This means that every nation would adopt and enforce the import and export certificate system as recommended by the league of
 nations. Each country cooperating woudl permit no opium, coca leaf. morphine. heroin or cocaine to en- ter or leave its boundaries. unless the government had previously ex- amined into the matter and satisfied
 itself that the shipment waseneeded for proper purposes, and that the
 importer or exporter could be
 trusted. The government of the
 country manufacturing the drug would permit it's export only upon
 the word of the government of the
 country desiring to import it. The latter government would report
 back as to the arrival or non-arrival of the shipment. If each of these countries controlled the movement of narcotics in this way, the
 chances for the drug to slip out of
 regular course and fall into the il- | licit traffic would be minimized. The
 certificate system is in fact the sine qua non of international control. It lis the necessary icomplement to eff I fective national 1egislation,e . closing l the gap, and so leaving no breach l in the continuity of narcotic super vision through all stages of manu- facture and distribution.
 "But if even one nation fails to
 control the manufacture of narcot- l ics, the world will be flooded with
 them. The smuggler can smuggle if
 once he can lay his hands on the
 drug. Strong police measures, with | international police cooperation,
 can make it little harder for him.
 can increase his risks somewhat,
 and reduce his profits bit; but
 smuggle he can and will, if only he | can get the material.
 "One nation can have the world at it's mercy. It can make huge prof it's for some of its citizens. and can COLllOTtdUly geuTlcTl US own cO1IeTS
 To achieve this, all it need do is fall to control the manufacture and dis
 rtibution of narcotic drugs within
 it's territory. The smuggler will do the rest.
 "Indeed, even if a nation were not
 directly guilty of unloading drugs
 of addiction upon another country,
 even if 1t had no narcotic problem of it's own, distributed no drugs,
 produced no drugs, and ever pur-
 chaser no drugs in any appreciable
 quantities--if 1t had nothing else
 against it but the fact that it had
 not adopted the import and export
 certificate system. it could still be
 q danger to other nations. For past
 experience has shown that snug g.ers in other counties can apply
 to their home governments for per mission to export to such a nation.
 and while givirl. it as the nominal destination of their shipments, can
 divert them as contraband to coun-
 tries where the illicit markets are more profitable.