Evening star., 1941-12-01
Clubhouse Opened
By D. {. Alcoholics
Anonymous Chapter
Three Medical Authorities
Help Dedicate New
Quarters Of Group
By ROBERT A. ERWIN.

Three medical authorities joined
last night with more than 300 alco-
holics from Washington, Baltimore
and Philadelphia in opening the
new clubhouse CT the Washington
Chapter of Alcoholics Anonymous
at 1401 Fourteenth street NV.
The medical authorities were DR..
Lawrence Kolb. assistant surgeon
general, United States Public Health
Service; DR.. Dudley Saul, medical
director and chief of staff, st. Luke's
and Children's Medical Center, Phil
adelphia. and Dr. Nelson Davis,
psychiatrist on the staff of Phila-
delphia General Hospital and the
Children's Center.
All OF them addressed the gather
ing. as did the founder. the former
Wall Street broker known publicly
only as Bill Alcoholics Anonymous
IS an organization Of recovered or
recovering alcoholics who help other
alcoholics and thus help themselves
to "stay on the WaGOn' Bill con-
Ceived the organization seven years
EGO. It has 80 funCtioning chan
ters and so incipient ones and 5000
members. II has no dues, no cleo
tive officers, and does not solicit
funds
A persistent case of growing pains
has forced the local chapter to
move four times in a year and a
half. The new quarters located on
the third floor at the Fourteenth
street address consist of big meet
ing hall and several other rooms
where members may go in their
leisure hours as we'll as for regular
sessions, A buffet supper was served
before and after last nights session.
Work Praised.
"I feel like a child in this group
Of experts" Dr.. Kolb told the alco-
holics. I'VE doctors know nothing
about alcoholism. but We are might
ilv interested in il. We know what
alcoholism does-that it undermines
the mind and the body. II is quite
obvious that Alcoholics ANONYMOUS
is doing a good work. Many lead
ing psychiatrietS are referring cases
to the A AS"
DR.. Saul condemned the average
public conception of an alcoholic,
describing a chronic drinker as
mentally sick but one who can
get rid of his obseSSion by this
simple program An alcoholic. he
declared, must never touch alcohol
In eny torn.
IN trying to cope with alcohol
ISM" said DR. Saul. most of the
members of the medical profession
talk of vital force. but they refuse
to admit that il is God. There are
a million alcoholics in the United
States. New drinkers are being Gre
ated at the rate of $4,000 to 10000 P
year. and 10 per cent of all drinkers
become alcoholic.
out Of this A. A program Will
come something big. some brain
that will solve the problem from
the medical point of view This is
the only thing that has done any
good"
1000 Members in Year.
zone fatal mistake" Dr. Saul
said. lis the conception of members
Of his family that an alcoholic hasn't
the intestinal fortitude to quit drink
ing. He needs help and he can't
do it alone"
Bill attributed the growth of the
organization to salesmanship. Mem
bers of metropolitan groups are
chiefly statesmen and professional
men, often moving to other cities
and organizing new groups. The
membership. he said, is 95 per cent .
employed, and even before the un- /
usual growth of the last year, 900 .
members-90 per cent of the A. AS .
were working This was done with |
out any social services" he pointed .
out. with just one man helping
another"
The mail address of the Wash |
ington chapter is P o. Box 70. Ben |
jamin Franklin Station. and its |
telephone number is Adams 1862
Meetings Tuesday nights are open |
20 the public. while Thursday night |