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CONGRESSIONAL
RECORD—SENATE (March 5, 1935 # 2963)
THE
NARCOTIC DRUG EVIL
Mr.
COPELAND. Mr. President, I ask that
a series of addresses made in connection with the narcotic evil be inserted in
the RECORD. As health commissioner
of New York I became familiar with the evils of the traffic in narcotic drugs,
and I am heartily in sympathy with the efforts being made to deal adequately
with the problem. I am informed that
the last in the series of broadcasts on this subject will be an address by the
Attorney General of the United States.
There
being no objection, the matter was ordered to be printed in the RECORD, as
follows:
BROADCAST
OVER THE NATIONAL NETWORK FEBRUARY 27, 1935
The
announcer said: "This is the fourth in a series of broadcasts under the
auspices of the World Narcotic Defense Association,
of which Admiral Richmond P. Hobson is president.
The narcotic association is now carrying on a comprehensive campaign to
secure adoption by all our States of a uniform law on narcotics.
"
Today eminent narcotic authorities will discuss the general question of law
versus the narcotic drug evil.' Mr.
Hayne Davis, vice president of the narcotic association, will conduct the
broadcast and present the speakers."
Mr.
Davis said: “The urgent need Is to secure interstate accord on narcotics
through adoption of the uniform narcotic drug act by all the States of our
Union. You are privileged today to
hear from the very highest authorities on this subject: The United States
Commissioner of Narcotics, Mr. H. J. Anslinger;
the president of the American Bar Association, Hon. Scott M. Loftin, of Florida:
the president of the Bar Association in 1932, when that association endorsed the
proposed uniform narcotic drug act, Hon. Clarence E. Mart" of West
Virginia.
The
subject of the of the discussion is ‘Law Versus the Narcotic Drug Evil.’
"
The first Speaker is Mr. H. J. Anlsinger, the able, faithful, and efficient
United States Commissioner of Narcotics---the chief Federal official for
enforcement of the national narcotic laws and treaties---Mr. Anslinger.”
ADDRESS BY MR. H. J. ANSLINGER, UNITED STATES COMMISSIONER
OF NARCOTICS
Opium
has been a boon to mankind in alleviating suffering, but a terrible curse to
those who have become victims to its abuse.
The
hope of a practical solution lies in strict control of the production, sale, and
distribution of narcotic drugs, as well as of the raw materials capable of use
in the making of these drugs. Great
progress has been made in these directions, and further progress is in prospect.
The
first opium conference was the outcome of American Initiative.
Similar conferences, with wider scope, followed in due course, at The
Hague in 1912, at Geneva in 1925 and 1931. The
delegates assembled at these conferences from all parts of the world were
appalled by the evidence of human wreckage and misery, through the abuse of
narcotics which was laid before them. They
were alarmed also by proof that this evil was rapidly spreading throughout the
world. Some of those who were thus
enlightened as to the fact and extent of narcotic drug abuse, resolved to stamp
out this evil, and at each conference they succeeded In securing general consent
to some plans calculated to further this good purpose.
At
the 1931 conference great strides were taken by agreement upon terms for
effective limitation of the manufacture of narcotic drugs to the actual needs of
mankind, for scientific and medicinal purposes, and for strict control of the
drugs manufactured for these purposes so that none of them would find their way
into the channels of illicit trade. The
treaty evolved by that conference constitutes the most powerful blow that has
thus far been dealt to the illicit narcotic traffic.
This treaty is now the basis of international accord on narcotics.
Indeed, the Limitation Treaty of 1931 may properly be called the Magna
Carta of world freedom from the narcotic drug tyrant.
Internationally, the allied forces in the warfare on the narcotic drug
evil have achieved great victories, and are now consolidated in a strong
position, well prepared for the next offensive.
In the United States, however, there is weakness in the lines of defense
against this enemy of all mankind.
"This
la due not to willingness among our good people to let this evil have its way
here but to the division of sovereign power between the Nation and the States
composing the Union, and to the difficulties encountered in getting full
information on the narcotic problem Into the hands of the several thousand State
legislators, who alone have power to enact the laws necessary for consolidating
this country behind the National Government in the splendid position it has
taken on narcotics. Long ago the
Treasury Department took steps so far as it lawfully could to limit manufacture
of narcotic drugs in the United States to the needs of this country for
scientific and medicinal purposes. Its
broad policy is to limit the importation of opium and coca leaves to the medical
and scientific needs as determined by the United States Public Health Service,
and to control manufacture and the distribution of the drugs made from the raw
material so imported. This
distribution is under effective control from Importation of the raw material to
delivery of the manufactured drug to the consumer.
I know of no finer tribute to the control system of your National
Government than one expressed by a delegate of Canada at a recent world narcotic
conference. He said that the United
states manufactures drugs for 120,000,000 people, and that there is a 3,000-mile
border between the two countries, making smuggling comparatively simple, yet in
all his experience he had never found narcotics of American manufacture in the
illicit traffic in Canada, although he found large quantities of narcotics of
European manufacture.
“Our
entire field force does not exceed 300 officers for the whole United States, or
1 for each 400,000 of the population, and It can be readily, seen that the
ordinary police work of narcotic law enforcement, such as the detection and
apprehension of the many petty street peddlers and the even greater number of
those Improperly possessing narcotics, cannot be adequately performed by Federal
officers. State cooperation is
essential to a reasonably adequate system of narcotic law enforcement, and the
several States of the Union have a serious obligation to perform in doing their
proper part in the suppression of this evil.
"The
adoption of a uniform narcotic drug act by all the States will do away with the
existing weaknesses in our narcotic laws by giving to the people of the United
States and of each State as good protection against the narcotic evil as can be
secured through legislative action, will enable the authorities of the States to
cooperate more effectively with each other and with the officials of the
National Government, and will be a great aid to the United States in properly
fulfilling its part in combating the narcotic evil in those phases which can be
dealt with effectively only through international cooperation.
We obligated ourselves to control production of opium under The Hague
Convention of 1912. We can fulfill
that obligation under this State legislation."
Mr.
Davis said:
"Thank
you. Mr. Commissioner.
“No
one knows better than Mr. Anslinger what the present law an narcotics is and
what that law ought to be.
[page
2964]
"Members
of the bar who have been recognized by their colleagues as worthy of election to
the presidency of the American Bar Association are certainly qualified to plead
the cause of law versus the narcotic drug evil before the supreme court of
public opinion. You will now hear
the views of Hon. Scott M. Loftin, of Florida, president
of the American Bar Association, regarding the uniform narcotic drug act.
Mr. Loftin found it impossible to be here today, so I shall read a
message received from him.
"MESSAGE FROM HON. SCOOT M. LOFTIN, OF FLORIDA
It
has long been customary for the Governors of the several States to appoint
commissioners on uniform State laws to confer with one another on those
questions, in which uniformity in the laws of the States is deemed to be for the
best interests of the people. The
Forty-second Annual Conference of these Commissioners on Uniform State Laws,
held in 1932, formulated a comprehensive program of legislation on the narcotic
problem, which is commonly known as the " uniform narcotic drug act."
The American Bar Association held Its meeting for that year soon after this act
was approved by the conference of commissioners.
The act came very appropriately, therefore, before the Bar Association
for consideration at its 1932 session.
"The
Honorable Clarence E. Martin was president of the Bar Association that year, and
he was also a member of the Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws,
which formulated this act. He is
especially well qualified, therefore, to explain in detail how the adoption of
this act by all the States will promote the welfare of the American people.
As President of the American Bar Association, I content myself,
therefore, with saying that there is no member of our association better
qualified than Mr. Martin to demonstrate the present need for adoption of this
act by all of our State legislatures. In
addition, I am saying a few words more as a citizen of the State of Florida.
The proposed uniform narcotic drug act was adopted by the Florida
Legislature in May 1933, and the people of Florida were benefited substantially
and immediately.
"
The Jacksonville Journal, in Its issue of October 27,
1933, carried a strong editorial concerning the uniform narcotic drug
act, entitled ‘The Workings of a Good Law' and worded as follows:
"
'Few enactments of the 1933 legislature were more significant In purpose or
sounder in design than the uniform State narcotic law.
"'
‘Occasion for reflection In this regard was presented
by the important marijuana arrest and seizure here last week.
" 'The sale on
which the case was made involved 2 pounds of the dried weed prepared for
smoking.
"'
Subsequent investigations led to a larger seizure and the discovery that the
plant from which the drug is made has been grown Inside the city limits of
Jacksonville.
"
'First among the points to be noted is that the case could not have been made
prior to the passage of the uniform State law.
The Harrison Act applies only to opium and coca leaves and their
derivatives.
"'In
the second place, the case affords illustration of the integration of
enforcement agencies under the new law. It
resulted from the cojoint efforts of Federal, State, and city forces.
"'Again,
it properly relegates the prosecution of such crime to local courts set up for
handling of local problems. The
Federal Bureau of Narcotics is left free to exercise its major function of
controlling medical movements and smuggling.
"'Eight
of the 24 cases made here strictly under the uniform law have been tried and
eight convictions have been returned.
"'Scheduled
for trial are two types of cases not covered previously.
One doctor's license is up for revocation and several addicts will be
prosecuted for obtaining narcotics under false pretenses.
"'Revocation
of medical licenses and restriction of drug Issue through misrepresentation by
addicts were not provided for In former laws.
“ ‘Through the
closing up of loopholes and the coordination of existing regulatory agencies,
the new uniform State law places that control upon a higher basis of
Intelligence and efficiency.
"
'Florida is in the vanguard of States adopting it.’
"I
conclude by saying that, in my opinion, all of the States should adopt the
uniform narcotic drug act, so as to effectively cooperate with the Federal
Government in its war against the illegal drug traffic, and, I will add, so as
to secure for the people of each State the protection which we In Florida now
enjoy through the adoption of this act in 1933.
SCOTT
M. LOFTIN,
“President
American Bar Association.”
Mr.
Davis then said: "Here you have proof from experience, brief but
convincing. And after hearing these
words of Mr. Loftin, president of the American Bar Association, in regard to the
qualifications of Hon. Clarence E. Martin, of West Virginia, that gentleman
needs no further introduction. Mr.
Martin."
[
More talk on the subject of narcotics and the uniformed narcotics law, but not
about marihuana]
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