The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1917-09-26
Oh Listen, Jones and
Smith and Brown, To Why
We're Not a SpOtless Town

meant what he said, of course
No one will question the commission
er's good intentions no one who knows
the commissioner would THINK Of cues
tioning his good purposes
Police Commissioner Couzens. tried 10
rid Detroit of its UNDESlRABLES and
provide for all of US a BETTER CITY
TO LIVE IN.
But he failed.
He failed in spite of the fact that as
police commissioner of Detroit he is alb
solutely untrammelled.
He took office with no political obi
cations to meet. The Times realizes that
he never could have been induced 70 take
the office with political strings tied TO
him.
He does not need the salary and needs
70 fear no man nor set Of men IN the
discharge of his obligations.
When Commissioner Couzens said he
would DRIVE VICE FROM DETROIT
The Times knew that he meant what he
said and that ne intended to follow up his
words with deeds, which he did do, but he
failed in the attempt and the underworld
KEPT RIGHT ON and VICE C0NTlN-
UED TO THRIVE.
Mr.. Couzens is manufacturer, active
ly and prominently identified from It's
start with the biggest manufacturing
success in the history of the world. Mr.
Couzens is maker of automobiles.
When his manufacturing plant falls be
low the point of efficiency aimed for in
its organization, Mr.. Couzens knows that
something is wrong somewhere with
some part.
If a machine he has made does not
meet the claims that have been made for
it, he knows that the machine has not
been put together properly-that there
is weak spot; that some part IS not
coming up to what is expected of it.
The police commissioner of Detroit has
the men and the means and the power to
PUT THE UNDERWORLD OUT OF
BUSINESS IN A NIGHT IF HE !
WANTS TO, AND COMMISSIONER Z
COUZENS WANTED TO AND STILL |
WANTS TO. That is conceded every
where in this editorial.
But he has failed, despite enough men.
the means and the authority.
He has failed despite the free hand
he holds.
He has failed despite the fact that he
has nohodv tn fear noliticallv
He has failed despite marked genius
for organization.
He has failed despite his expert knowl-
edge of efficiency.
And the. only way possible to explain
his failure is by the conclusion that a
part or parts, somewhere, were not work
ing with the rest of the machine.
Prosecuting Attorney Jasnowsk is of
the opinion that the clutch of Commits
sioner Couzens otherwise perfectly run
ming machine has been slipping
That is to say, that somebody at po-
lice headquarters has been tipping off the
underworld to the police commissioner s
plans-the underworld had nothing to
fear from the police if it knew the police
were coming.
Prosecuting Attorney Jasnowsk says
the telephone operator at police head
quarters was one of two imperfect parts
in the machine. He has had both parts
arrested and claims he will prove the de-
fects of the police commissioner ma
chine before the grand jury.
The prosecuting attorney was desirous
of having one Of the two policemen he
has had arrested, kept in Jail, demanding
and having had fixed by the court sum
of bail which this officer had been unable
to secure.
The prosecutor has been working by a
set of plans, the same as an automobile
is built by set of plans, his object being
to do what Police Commissioner Couzens
wants done-to CLEAN UP THE UN-
DERWORLD and DRIVE VICE FROM
DETROIT.
Police Commissioner Couzens has UP
SET THE PROSECUTORS PLANS EN-
TIRELY by providing bail for the ac-
cused officer
The commissioner follows his action
with a statement that he will baliovo 4bo