The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1918-10-25
STATE TROOPS Save
U. s. and MICHIGAN
MANY TIMES COST
TWO BIG ACHIEVEMENT STAND
TO CREDIT OF BODY UP TO
PRESENT TIME.
l. W. W. QUICKLY CHECKMATED
State War Preparedness Board Has
Won Great Credit Through WorR
of the Constabulary.

ness Board since its creation by the
legislation when the United States
entered the world war, was the for
nation of the state constabulary, or
Michigan State Police. These troops
have been an insurance against dis
order and already have saved the gov
eminent and the state many times
their cost.
The state war board realized when
, the call for troops came that the de-
parture of the national guard would
leave Michigan unprotected against
home troubles and Immediately plan
ned the formation of a body OF state
police 200 strong. The work of the
constabulary has more than vindicat-
ed the judgment Of Gov. Sleeper, Sec
rotary of State Vaughan, Attorney
General Groesbeck, Auditor General
Fuller, State Treasurer Odell and
Superintendent of Public Instruction
Keeler, the elective state officers who
make up the war board, and all OF
whom except Superintendent Keller,
are candidates for reelection on
Nov. 8.
Two big achievements stand to the
credit Of the state police up to date.
The first was Kidding the state OF the l.
w. w. menace. The other was the.
suppression Of booze smuggling after
Michigan Joined the ranks of dry
states. But besides those two jobs tho
state police have done a huge amount
of other most important work.
Stamped Out !. w. w.
The constabulary disposed OF the
| I. w. w. SO promptly and so effective
ly that many people In the state did
not know Michigan had been threat
ened with the same serious trouble
! that many western states experience
ed But one of the first sabotage eff
forts of the disloyal elements In this
organization was to hamper the pro-
duction Of ordnance In this country
by tying up copper and iron mines
and mills in the upper peninsula.
Lawless leaders of this organization
who respect no government, sought
to spread a reign Of terror through
the mining district and prevent peace
full and law abiding miners from con-
tinuing their work, thereby Gripping
the government in its manufacture OF
munitions and other war necessities.
Had it not been for the organiza.
ton of the constabulary 1t would have
been necessary to have federal troops
sent into the upper peninsula-troops
that the government was anxious to
send to France as rapidly as possible.
The state saved the government from
that, thanks to Gov. Sleeper and his
aides on the war preparedness board.
Without firing a single shot and al
most without striking a single blow
a detachment of 25 mounted troopers
quelled the disturbance in Gogebic
county, assured the citizens that they
were on hand not only to protect
their lives and their property, but the
lives and property Of striking mem
bers of the l. w. W. as well, and with.
In a comparatively short time brought
order out of threatened chaos.
Because of the opportunity for
alien enemies to spread their vicious
propaganda among ignorant foreign
ers employed in the mining regions
the troops have remained on duty
north of the straits and will continue
to patrol the district for the duration
of the war.
The troopers are out only to assure
law and order. They are not main
tanned to break strikes, but have i'm
PARTIALLY protected men at work
while strikes were In progress and
strike pickets who were attacked by
others. So well have they done their
work that when II was proposed last
fall to have them withdraw from the
upper peninsula for the winter
months a howl of protest went up
from all elements Of the population.
Nab Booze smugglers.
The constabulary has done splendid
work in preventing whisky smuggling
from Ohio and Wisconsin into Mich
igan. Only recently 1t has put out of
business q gang Of whisky runners
of nationwide notoriety. Not only has
Il captured scores of actual law VIC
lators, but it's work has deferred
hundreds of others from attempting
to violate the dry laws OF the state.
At the request Of federal authori-
ties another troop of state police was
sent to Detroit to guard the big docks
where millions Of dollars worth of
war supplies are handled. This troop
has been on duty in Detroit for a
year now, dividing its attention be-
tween the docks and the big grain
elevators and food storehouses. Dur.
ing the long and bitterly cold nights
last winter the troopers never relax
ed their vigil. The Michigan Central
Lunnel anu ln6 BIOCKYar0g
also have been protected by these
same troopers.
Eight men are stationed at a big
factory in Muskegon where munitions
are manufactured. Twelve others
guard the Grand Trunk tunnel and
power house and the big terminal
wheat elevator at Port Huron. Prov
lers have been kept away from the
great power plants at Menominee by
the state police. At Niles they are
guarding the Michigan Central bridge.
At Flint twenty men are patroling
the entire industrial district and af.
fording protection to the many plants
engaged on government contracts.
Under direction of the food admin.
stration the troopers have confiscated
wheat which greedy owners were try
ing to hold from market. They have
distributed coal in cities during the
fuel famines; have policed foreign
sections OF cities where there was
much disloyalty rampant. In suppres