Wednesday, April 10, 2019

Today -100: April 10, 1919: Of heroin, legions, germs, and war cripples


The feds arrest 6 doctors and 4 pharmacists in New York City who were trading in heroin, writing hundreds of thousands of prescriptions (yes, prescriptions for heroin). Now they’re worried about the 800 drug fiends, many of them discharged soldiers and sailors, about to go into withdrawal. They’re opening a clinic to sell those doctors’ patients heroin at cost. Health Commissioner Royal Copeland thinks prohibition is going to lead to a great rise in drug addiction.

The NYT editorial page welcomes the creation of the organization Teddy Roosevelt Jr. is pushing, the American Legion, as long as it remains non-partisan.

A doctor in Vienna claims to have discovered a hunger germ.

The Allies evacuate Odessa.

British troops in Cairo fire on a “mob,” killing 9.

At the Paris Peace talks, the Big Four decide not to execute former kaiser Wilhelm. The US basically vetoed the wishes of France and Britain, which evidently brought up the executions of Charles I, Mary Queen of Scots, Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette as positive examples of why you should always behead tyrants (and their wives). He could still be put on trial, although the US opposes this too because a trial wouldn’t be based on any existing international law.

Among the nefarious plots the NYT ascribes to German “Reds”: inciting war cripples to demonstrate in Berlin for higher pensions despite demonstrations being banned.

The Revenue Bureau will train 800 new agents to enforce prohibition, in addition to the existing 2,293 revenooers.

Éamon de Valera (who escaped from prison in February) addresses the Sinn Féin Convention in Dublin, asking Ireland to support Woodrow Wilson’s principles even if Wilson doesn’t.

A Federal District Court judge rules that Japanese who served in the US military can’t become US citizens.


Don't see comments? Click on the post title to view or post comments.

No comments:

Post a Comment