European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - July 7, 1977, Darmstadt, Hesse                                The image of the Texas rangers has changed Over the years from cowboys on horseback to police officers in suit and Texas rangers under the gun v b John Crewdson new York times a decade their controversial in vol Ernest in a bloody farm workers strike produced official suggestions that they ought to be done away the Texas rangers Are still and it is beginning to look As in us words of one of their favorite As Long As there is a there will be a Texas the trouble started 10 Yean ago when a Ranger and Hia men were sent into the Rio Grande Valley in a divisive and unsuccessful at tempt by fledgling United farm workers Union to strike Melon Growen at the height of the Harvest the rangers escorted workers brought from Mexico across the picket lines to work in the Fields and carried out Mats arrests of the some thing that Union supporters charged was instrumental la breaking the after heating complaints that the rangers had intimidated Tome Union members and subjected others to verbal and physical the Texas Arm of the United states ova rights commission recommended that the Ihen Only three years away from their Isola be the idea of Texas without rangers was As horrifying to Mast titans As an announcement that some East coast concern was planning to turn Utt Alamo there is John who captured John Wesley the notorious by clubbing him Over the head with the massive Barret of Hia there is Frank the Ranger Captain who led the posse that did in the Bank robbers Clyde Barrow and Bonnie and there is Lulam Mcdonald the Story was sent to quell a riot in an Bast Texas town Early in this As the Ranger stepped from the the mayor asked him Why Only one Man had been Mcdonald is reputed to have you aint got but one have you he probably never said but to Ranger his legend is nearly As important As the mythical Lone a Texas Ranger to be u accorded a special place la the Hall the Calls for the abolition of the rangers have there to Smith and Jacob Camp ment that has become the unofficial Home of a fast is has been fully restored dedicated the Texas rangers Hall inside the Hall is not the Ranger heroes enshrined in Mauff Are perhaps larger in death than in is by there Fec tata Jack Obb y e renowned Indian who frequently stoic us of i fear in part As an official of the Ameri can civil Bertles Union put Treyve kept a pretty Low profile since All stuff in the Jim a 31 year old lawyer who runs an Acle project in san near the mexican said there had been no recurrence of the troubles a decade for More than w the Texas rangers have been a subunit of the state department of Public which a much larger uniformed Force that carries out most criminal police there Are some who now question the need Tor a handpicked Force of compared to their mustachioed i9lh Century predecessors whose photographs adorn the Hall of the present Day Many of them bespectacled men of Middle age and spreading seem an unprepossessing fiut they Are still possibly the most elite Law enforcement Agency in the if Only because their ranks Are so there Are Only 94 of the distinctive Starin Circle Ranger badges to go around the number is fixed by Kwh and such hard won Primics Are generally surrendered Only upon retire ment or there Are no acc end no the Glrst Zitara v admitted in and w official said or two Olsen had joined since the rangers elite spirit lingers although the Modem rangers have for the Moit pert remained aloof from Texas the organization was mildly embarrassed m in when it was disclosed that commissions had been handed out to some 300 special rangers who were with out the Benefit of any badges and to carry handguns and make forcible Many of the special rangers turned out to be Pri vate investigators or Security officials for Compa Nies Tike southwestern Beu but some of them Wen prominent or politically connected texans like Robert the former chairman of the democratic National apart from riot control and the apprehension of the who Are scattered in big dues and Little towns throughout the Ore in Marily criminal and even though they Are no longer chasing Fence cutters and cattle rustlers or repelling mexican revolutionaries who stray across the the spirit of  acquired in More rough and ready Days seems not to Nave faded july 1977 the stars and stripes Page 13