DOLE CALLS FOR MORE COVERAGE OF RISING TEEN-AGE DRUG ABUSE.

Byline: Philip J. Trounstine Knight-Ridder Tribune News Wire

Accusing President Clinton of ``a naked failure of leadership'' in the war against drugs, Bob Dole on Thursday called on America's newspaper editors to give higher priority to informing communities about soaring teen-age drug abuse and the resurgence of the drug culture.

In a somber speech to the Associated Press Managing Editors Association, Dole said newspapers have a special role to play in telling ``the countless stories of personal tragedies that have become a social crisis.''

The lecture to the editors came just one day after he spoke sternly to the entertainment industry in California. Recounting that message Thursday, Dole decried the ``commercialization of drug abuse'' and the ``glorification of slow suicide.''

Having gained little ground against Clinton with his 15 percent tax-cut proposal, Dole has turned this week to withering criticism of the president's morality for failing to use his office to reduce teen-age drug use.

``People resist the lure of crime and drugs for two reasons: Either they fear punishment or they hold moral and ethical standards,'' Dole said.

``Ultimately our crisis of drugs and crime is a crisis of belief and conviction, especially among the young. It seems to me that the fate of a generation will depend on the ability of the adult world to communicate values - especially a commitment to embrace life by rejecting drugs.''

He repeated his charges - many of which the administration challenges - that Clinton has weakened federal efforts to combat drugs.

``Drugs are no longer a national priority for this administration,'' he said. ``They sent up a white flag of surrender.''

The attitude of the White House, he said, ``sends an implicit message to parents and children. The adult world of politics is not serious about drugs, it's casual, it's permissive and it's liberal. `Zero tolerance' has become `live and let live.' We will never have a firm, confident, national message against drugs when our leaders are ambivalent themselves.''

Dole's pointed remarks were designed to emphasize the widespread perception reflected in polls that compared to Dole, the popular president lacks moral fiber.

``It's time to end the phony conservative rhetoric that tries to mask liberalism in action,'' Dole said, in a dig at Clinton's attempts to portray himself as tough on crime and drugs. ``What we are talking about is not just the policy of our government but the character of our country. The actions of the president and the government he leads must convey the message that drugs and violent crimes are morally repugnant to a free society.''

Communities, Dole said, depend on newspapers to provide information about drug use. ``Without information,'' he said, ``how can there be any concern?

``It benefits everyone in a community when its problems are clearly defined. Otherwise people tend to think that drugs are isolated to bad neighborhoods or one bad school - and all of us know different.''

He credited newspapers with having raised public awareness about the dangers of crack cocaine in the 1980s and with helping to understand the rise in heroin use today.

``The drug war won't be won through ignorance,'' he said. ``In some important ways, all of us are depending on you.''