Evening star., 1951-10-07

ington is now in progress. And this
is because Baltimore judges must
impose stiff sentences on convicted
peddlers while District judges can be
entirely discretionary in the penalties
they mete out.
For instance, in Maryland, first
time offender will get from two to
five years in jail. Here. he may get
severe scolding, be placed on proba-
ton and then set free to continue
business. Even two and three time
offenders in Washington will get one
to three years. while in Baltimore the
sentence may run as high as 20 years.
Other Cities Success
If Mr.. Martins argument for sitter
jail sentences is not enough to con-
vince. Washingtonians have only to
look to Memphis. Tenn, or Mime
apolis, MINI. These cities consider
drug peddling a major crime, and
mete out proportionately heavy pen
alties. For this reason, the rate Of
addiction today in these two cities
is one person out of 25,000-only
one-eighth of the national rate of
one in 5000.
1t is significant to point out here
that though Washington is high ON
the list of danger" spots, it's high
school students are not in grave peril
OF succumbing to an imminent epi-
demic of drug addiction. OF the en-
tire parochial and public high school
student enrolment last year, says
Inspector Murray, only three prob
able cases of addiction, requiring hos
pltallzation, were found.
In singing out eight cities as prin-
cipal origins of the rise in drug ad-
diction (and incidentally the rise
reached its peak last spring and is
noW>on downward trend), the Mar
cotlcs Bureau is not trying to excuse
Its own failure in alright control.
Nor is it trying to saddle local COM
munities with the full responsibility
of cleaning their own houses.
Three Reforms Under Way
Along with PHS and the ANA. it
is sponsoring three major reforms,
which if they materialize, may be the
death blow to illegal narcotics trade.
One is an amendment to the Federal
Narcotics Act which would make
graduated stiff sentences for Offend
ers national matter, rather than
local. Called the Boggs bill, the meas
ure has already been approved by
the House and is now before the
Senate Finance Committee. Chair
man George, Democrat, of Georgia
has assured the Narcotics Bureau Of
its passage before the session ends.
The second reform calls for the
enlargement of hospital facilities for
addicts Today there is but one first
rate Federal hospital for addicts.
This hospital is at Lexington, KY.
Most of its patients are voluntary.
Enforcement authorities hope that
the extension of clinical and PSYCHE
atric treatment will be coupled with
a law making such treatment manda-
tory not left to the whim of the VIC
tins.
The third. and most far reaching
and ambitious, involves control of
drugs at the point of origin. The
basic problem today is the oversupply
OF drugs, principally opium from
which most other drugs are derived.
To meet the worlds needs, only $50
tons OF opium must be produced an
nually. Yet annual production is
now in excess of 1000 tons, most of
which comes from Turkey, Iran.
Greece. India, China and Mexico.
Foreign FinoeIine
While there has been commend
able international cooperation in
tracking down criminal dealers, ef-
forts to control production have met
dismal failure. Italy alone, with a
lO-year supply Stockpiled, continues
to produce. Iran and India have
steadtastly ignored appeals from the
United States to curtail production.
Turkey has a control law, but Turk
ish opium farmers fagrantly violate
it and channel their illegal yield into
the black market where they some
times get two or three times as much
as the legal world price of $40 a
pound. And attempts to reason with
Red China, which for several months
has been trying to unload 500 tons
OF opium on the world, have fzzled
miserably.
Nevertheless. United States officials
have not departed of ultimate sue
cessful international control. Harry
j. Anslinger. commissioner of the
Narcotics Bureau and United States
delegate to the U. N Narcotics Com
mission, is optimistically expecting
some degree of control by next April.
Backed to the hilt by the State De-
partment and the Economic CO.
operation Administration, he has a
new and powerful ally-the North
Atlantic Treaty Organization. The
inclusion of Greece and Turkey in
NATO and the likely revision of
1taly's peace treaty have given Mr..
Anslinger strong bargaining points.
He will not, he admits, hesitate to
employ little diplomatic bludgeon-
ing.