Evening star., 1940-01-05
U. ). Narcotic Agent,
Will Probe Sales
OF Drugs 10 Pupils
Assistant Prosecutor
Confers With Author
OfMogozine Article


Federal narcotic agents will begin
an immediate investigation of al
legged narcotic sales to high school
students, Assistant United States
Attorney George E. Mcneil an
nounced today.
Mr.. Mcneil made the announce
ment after comforting with Hugo W.
Wolter, author of an article in a
magazine published by the Council
of Social Agencies, charging that
narcotics may be bought freely by
students; young colored man who
collected the alleged facts on which
the article was based and D. l..
Yutronich, Federal Bureau of Mar
cotics agent.
Mr.. Mcneil said alleged sales to
students at Dunbar High School and
Shaw and Garnet-Patterson Junior
High Schools, all colored, will be
looked into especially. Evidence
suitable for presentation to a grand
jury, possibly next week, will be
sought.
The assistant district attorney ex-
planned that Mr. Wolter did not have
sufficient evidence to go before the
grand jury himself, and for that
reason the matter was being turned
over to the Federal narcotic agency.
Mr.. Mcneil said buys will have to
be made by person in the conf
dence of the alleged peddlers and
the regular routine of arrest fol-
lowed.
Meanwhile, Police Supt. Ernest w.
Brown said he has absolutely no
information as is alleged tn the ar
ticle," which was based on informa-
ton gathered over a three-year Pc
riod by graduate student of How
ard University, whose name the
council refused to divulge.
Maj. Brown added: If Mn VOL
ter has information such as he
alleges, he should turn it over to the
district attorney or he is not doing
his duty"
Stands by Presentation.
Informed of Maj. Browns COM
ment, Mr.. Wolter stood firmly by
his article, in which he said the in
vestigator, in his survey in the Cen
trail area-which lies about 10
blocks east and west of North Cap
itol street, just north of the Capitol
was given 10 places narcotics
could be bought by the students.
THE police know about the situa-
tion," Mr.. Wolter said, "but they do
not have the personnel to clean it
up and this is an easy thing to over
look. Really, it is not the fault OF
the police, but is due to the condi-
tions under which these students
live"
Mr.. Wolter promised to make his
information public.
Capt. Rhoda Milliken, head of the
Woman's Bureau, said she had
checked information on which Mr..
VOTERS article was based and had
found it did mot exaggerate the
true picture" About two months
ago, she said, three colored men were
arrested for selling dope to four
colored girls, students of high
school. The men did not possess
narcotics at the time of their arrest.
however, she said, and they were
prosecuted on other charges.
Grand Jury Move Suggested.
Harry Anslinger, head of the Fed
eral Bureau Of Narcotics, also sug-
gested that Mr.. Wolter turn his
alleged evidence over to q grand
jury.
Mr.. Anslinger branded the reports
of narcotic selling as entirely with
out foundation" His agents have
investigated many such reports, he
said, and had found that conditions
described in the article do not
exist"
The article also charged: 1.-THE
high schools and other legitimate
recreation centers are surrounded
by gambling joints-three at corners
near junior high school. Within
one block of every school are several
houses of i'll repute where bedrooms
may be temporarily rented. =
Certain streets are known as the
regular beats of street walkers and
students ply the trade as child pros
titutes. Whisky is purchased by
students and kept in lockers, hip
pockets and handbags" ..