◆ SpookStack

—— ~ Roadblock ~ The us& Supre sme Court's decision to open con- fidential files of federal investigative agencies to all defendants has discouraged and ali but stopped the narcotica control program. The tremendous accomplishments in this vital field prior to the incomprehensible decision had, for the first time in history, raised hope for eradica- tion of the filthy business of dope use and sales, As United States Narcotics Commissioner Harry J. Anslinger reports, the new federal nar- cotics act has been in effect less than a year, but in that short time the number of known addicts in , the country has been reduced by 10,000 victims. _ The further dramatic effect of the act has been that the risks of the evil traffic in dope have been so drastically increased and its profits diminished that the end of it as a major menace to America was in sight, - _ Then came the Supreme Court decision which dried up 85% of the sources of information upon which the government depends for artests, prosecu- tion and conviction. * As W. R. Hearst Jr. wrote in his “Editor's Re- rt” in the Sentinel and other Hearst Sunday news- apera, the ruling will have “a disastrous effect on farcotica prosecutions as well as security cilses. ost such prosecutions are based on evidence from} informants and it is imperative, for their own safety, that their identities be protected, ” ee oe am . . . _ ee %, 4 a Milwaukee Sentinel Milwaukee, Wiscongin June 24,1957 George A, Tracy, Managing Editor [ss LTS § SH 1GA- “NOT RECORDED 44 JUL 3 1957 Zar ee G3JUL5 1957