The L'Anse sentinel., 1919-03-28
FRENCH ROADS SAVE
AMERICAN SOLDIERS
BRIG. GEN. covELL, COMMANDING
MICHIGAN HERO BRIGADE AP-
PLIES WAR TEAcHINoe TO
PEACE TIMES.
LET UNCLE SAM HELP PM BILL
States Only General OFFICER In France
Tells of Lessons Learned
Under Boche Fire.

Grand Rapids, Mlcn., MaIch L.
That main market highways are an alb
solute necessity for the good OF the
community and that the State of Mich
igan needs, more than anything else,
properly built, properly maintained
system of roads, is the unqualified
statement of Brig. Gen. Louis G.
Coveil, the man who led Michigan's
fighting brigade of National Guards
men away in 1917 and led them
through the earlier campaigning In
France when the now famous 32nd. Di-
vision won place immortal in the his
tory of American valor.,
Gen. Covell's words on the need for
good roads comes at the psychological
moment when the people of the state
are preparing to ratisfy a constitu-
tional amendment which will set in
motion the machinery for a compre-
hensive system Of main market high
ways that will touch every community
| in Michigan. A vote for this Amend
ment does not mean a S50,000,0 900 bond
issue. 1t merely opens the way for
the people to use the States credit,
| from time to time, to meet Uncle
Sans dollar-for-dollar proffer of aid on
| Michigan roads and means that we,
of today may have the roads and
spread the cost, whatever it may be,
over a period of thirty years or more.
War Makes Him Road Booster.
Gen. Covell has returned to his
| home State after being mustered out
of the service at Camp Sherman, o.
And the whole Of Michigan has no
more sincere, enthusiastic good roads
booster than the man who led the 63rd
! brigade into the hell Of machine-gun
| fire, shrapnel and high explosives in
France. He went through the hottest
kind OF fighting during the earlier part
iof the participation of the United
States in the war. Twice he narrowly
escaped death. Once when Boche
shell burst amidst Il group Of German
/ prisoners in chalk cave at Tartierres.
where the general was sleeping and
again when II high explosive shells of
large calibre literally peppered his
headquarters. General Covell doesn't
| consider himself in the light Of hero.
Except in singing the praises CT his
men, war is trite subject with him.
But he dearly loves to talk about roads
and the need for an immediate better
ment of Michigan's highways.
without French roads, this war
might have had a very different and
much less satisfactory conclusion"
said the general, IF the State would
take hold and build all the highways
it would be the biggest possible thing
! for Michigan. Any plan for building
! good roads Is absolutely worthless I'M
less it embraces a plan for constant
maintenance which, in the long run,
| is the only sure and economical plan
| highways. The automobile is no longer
plaything; it is business PROPOSE
ton. 1t opens hitherto undreamed of
breadths OF vision and industry to the
farmer and the free circulation Of au-
tomobile passenger and freight traffic
is mere essential to life and growth
of the community than the operation
OF steam railway trains and interurban
lines"
Roads An important Link.
''In the big war, the reads were as
much a. necessary part Of the scheme
of transportation as the railway and
efA otf
applies with equal force to commerce
and industry, except that it is farther
reaching and more permanent in its
benefits. II you break down one link
In chain the whole chain goes. The
time is here when the roads must
form a most importa.-t link in the
chain OF transportation"
Ashamed Of Miehisan's Roads.
"Take Michigan today. 1t is the CEN
ter of the worlds automobile industry,
yet It is notorious for its bad roads.
Tourists in the east will tell you they
want to come to Michigan's greatest
playground OF the nation, but the
pleasure would. be more than Offset by
the trouble and expense of traversing
endless mileage OF roads that do not
deserve to bo dignified under that
title"
when l hit Michigan on the way
home from war, It was a great shock
to me to behold some of the black.
muddy, impossible highways, after my
experience with the hard, glistening,
white highways Of France. And after
my experiences and observations over
seas. l am booster for better roads
for Michigan. D.,
Not for war purposes, but for the up
building and growth Of our great COM
monwealth. And I cannot but feel that
others in Michigan who were not fortu-
nate enough to get into the fight
"over-there" will learn the lesson from
their hghting men and begin the con-
struction of a highway system. that
will be maintained and properly and
plainly marked and will meet with
the approval OF the wolverine soldiers
who fought over French roads and
came to wish that they had something