Evening star., 1941-11-09
Work of Alcoholics
Anonymous
BIZ Frederic J. Hdsktn.

POSSIBLY one Ol tilc icoSS hiio"AA N'
tional organizations is Alcoholics An
onymous 1t is composed OF orotner'
hood of alcoholics who are banded to-
getf,er to help one another combat their
common enemy, alcoholism.
The organizations name is indicative
that it does not seek publicity, and prob
ably for that reason the country has
heard but little of this unusual group
of people. It is true that the movement
is only about sly years old, but 1t has
chapters in New York Jersey City,
Cleveland, Akron, Chicago, Houston,
Baltimore, Washington, and other I'M
portant centers. The Washington chap
ter has membership Of more than 200.
Magazines, medical journals, news
papers and private individuals have in
veStigated and analyzed the work OF
Alcoholics Anonymous and have called
| the organization and its results mar
velous" The inebriates are finding in
| their own ranks the road TO recovery.
| a road that in thousands of cases physl-
| clans. sanitariums and hospitals, have
! been unable to show them. Thus the
movement is rendering unique and
! humanitarian service to society.
As veterans of the drinking evil, they
| know all the danger signals. the alibis
used by an alcoholic to mitigate his
| drinking and the thoughts in his mind
as he emerges from the fog. SO the
assumption, and in most instances II is
more than an assumption, is that the
| man who has travelled the road is better
able to help the fellow who seeks aid
to free himself from drinks ultimate
consequences.
Alcoholics ANONYMOUS follows q clear
and well-defined course. Its leaders ad.
here so religiously to q definite course
that they insist upon debunking any
misconceptions. They insist that theirs
Is not an organization advocating cures
and that there is no such thing as
cure for alcoholism nor cured alcoholic.
They also insist that the remedy they
offer is a conditional reprieye in which
they are so busy helping others that
they solve their own problem. 1t Is like
the rich woman who repeatedly sought
happiness and found it, not by sending
out sums Of money by other people to
purchase food for the poor, but by tax.
ing the food to them personally.
One primary thesis of the movement,
and one on which the best minds on
the subject now agree, is that alcoholism
very definitely is an illness, not merely
bad habit. Its victims are no different
from those suffering from other diseases
To this end, the thought is that the
recognition of alcoholism as a malady
and the treatment Of it accordingly will
save the individual from possible ruin
and society from unwarranted damage.
Members of the movement are not re.
formers, missionaries or social workers
They do not expect to save the world
overnight. There are numerous methods
of help but no preachments. for the Or
ganlzation takes the position that where
one man can be shamed out of a habit.
ten thousand gradually can be relieved
of it py an understanding attitude.
The organization Is distinct from most
national movements 1t has no salaried
officers, no dues, no official publication
and nothing to sell except unselfsh
service. Furthermore. it does not solicit
funds. Each local chapter is voluntarily
financed by its members and each mem
Der Is a one-man or one-woman mem
bership committee, bringing TO meetings
friends or new acquaintances who need
help in their fight against alcohol.
This unusual movement was conceived
by 43-year-old native of Vermont when
he had reached the end Of the road In
his career as a hard drinker. The key
stone is religion, the recognition of a
Greater Power that can help the alco-
holic victim when all other things have
failed. But with this conception, the
organization does not go in for religious
doctrines It's meetings are not Of the
prayer meeting type.
The originator of the movement is
now its leader. From the first World
War. in which he had been an officer he
entered Wall Street and became a sue
cessful broker. His greatest enemy was
alcohol, for it affected his business career
and menaced his family life. Having
tried all the remedies prescribed he was
unable to stop drinking and believed that
he was a confirmed alcoholic It was at
this point that he decided the best source
to obtain help was from alcoholics them
selves. There he found the answer,
that of doing something to help the
other fellow to give up drinking. Fol-
lowing the plan. it had marvellous effects.
Out of this experience Alcoholics Anony-
nous came into being
Alcoholics usually make contact with
the group through knowing a member,
through some hospital or physician ia
miliar with their work, or by writing to
P. o. Box 658, Church Street Annex, New
York City. or P. o. Box y. Benjamin
Franklin Station, Washington All In
quiries receive immediate personal at
tention and where an individual is in.
terested his name is given to the nearest
local group. If he needs a visit he gets
it at once but the A. AS will not pursue
him. No charge Of any kind is made for
their help.
Some Of the countrys best-known men
and women have become vitally inter-
ested in the movement. As an example,
John D. Rockefeller jr., gave a dinner
to so members of the New York Chapter
and listened to some of them tell Of
their reformation.
Many efforts have been made by plysi-