Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1893-12-22
JAPANESE POLICEMEN.


Ahe MOST ArtstDCrhtlC anu fOltNe Ton
sttbuIary known.
There is no human being quite so
polite as the Japanese policeman.
Not to his fellow -countrymen, be it
understood; by no means. file regards
the bulk of them, probably with a
good -natured contempt for, in the
language of Mr. Cheyalier, 'he is a
gentleman by birth aud education,
When, IN the pursuit Of Western civ
ilization says Pail Mall Budget, Japan
cast of feudalism and put on frock
coat and a silk hat, thousands of sa-
mural, or two-sworded retainers Of
the old mobiles, found their occupa-
ton gone No more exhilerating
little expeditions into the territories
of the neighboring princes were posi-
BILE and chopping foreigners into little
bits soon became game hardly
worth the candle. The swords rusted
in their scabbards and finally were,
by imperial decree, discarded alto
getheF and helped few years later
to decorate the drawing rooms Of Bel
grayia. What was to be done with
tACoC .N ash tldAACu W a
militarism quite impossible in the
modern army mode on the French
pattern? The Government wanted
police. The samurai knew nothing
about the status of the British
bobby or of the French gen
d'armeS, so they enrolled in large
numbers, happy in being able to wear
at any rate, one sword, aud that
two handed one.
Thus it happens that the japanese
police are the most aristocratic force
Of constabulary in the world. They
are finely disciplined body, small in
stature, but well drilled and expert
ID the Il as: 81 z. lie steel -scao oardea
weapon VIII CHI bangles at their heels
1t is to he Observation-Disclosures he
be the veriest outcast of no-nation
ality sailor from a kerosene ship or
a sleek, mOneyed globe-trotter- that
the essential politeness of the Japa.
nese policeman is shown in all its ma
tive richness With the former class
the police of the foreign ports in
Japan-Yokohama, Kobe, and Ma
gasaki-have much intercourse, not
of the gentlest kind. Yet the scrim-
mage invariably has but one termi-
nation. The truculent son of Nep-
tune is sooner or later handed over to
the consular authorities of his coun-
try-if he owns one-and lodged in
the foreign Jail Perhaps two police.
men will he engaged in the opera
ton, perhaps twentY--thdt is a mere
detail. What is important is the
fact that once a japanese policeman
makes up his mind to arrest any one
who is in his hands, he sticks to him
with bulldog tenacity never loses
his temper or his hod-and conducts
his victim to the lookup if he be a
foreigner, with the greatest urbanitv
and much polite ceremony.
There is naturally more room for
the latter quality when a respectable
foreigner who breaks the law through
ignorance =. in question, but the
tirmnesS and pertinacstv are always
present You are travelling in the
interior, let US say, and hear Of an
interesting town or village which you
had not intended to visit. So, serene
in the possession Of a bulky passport,
you go Your first duty when YOU
arrive at the teahouSe where YOU in
tend to pass the night is to hand your
pass port TO the landlord, who i'm
mediately takes it to the local police
0 i Ger for inspection. You have just
contriyed a more or less comfortable
arrangement Of the futon and en-
/ tered the stage of pleasant drowsi.
mes, which leads to slumber wrn
the shoji is slid aside and your land
lord, bowling low introduces an
equally obsequi9uS policeman, who
hat in hand, handy explains that
you are outside the area covered bl
your pass ort, and tha5 he must
trouble you to depart instanter for
the nearest place included in its hier,
| oglyphiCS Clothed in the night
ness which the Englshman com.
monty wears abroad. you may ex-
postElate with the little man and
protest against the indignity and
| hardship of being awakened in the
middle Of the night-may even
threaten to lay the matter before
| your Minister All is quite useless,
| the little man has his orders and he
will carry them out, by force if neces-
sarY: and the sooner YOU give up the
contest and set of in the ricksha
which the of'cer has thoughlfully
/ provided for the journey. the better
are your chances OF getting to sleep
at all.