The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-01-21

GUJRDIiNS OF n PEACE Won RE-
SPECTED ~ nm CUBAN CITY.

A Years Teaching Necessary to Prove Tint
n Police OTcer Represents the Idea Of
the supremacy Of Law Americans
brought Up short-scene at n shooting.
HAvASA, Jan 10 Havana policemen have
turned cut 10 De not half bad chaps, For q time
the success O. a native police force looked a little
dubious. There was n lack q stamina back
bone, il might better be called comb.ned with
an cxc,nbilliy which BODIED III for the future Of
liavana's b!ue-coatcd guardians Of the peace.
But both the pcopl, arL the officers Of the law
| have learned a good deal through the experience
Of the year just past and n mutual respect has
hrgun to grow up This has been wisely fostered
by the American authorities, sometimes with
such measures that individuals appeared to suf-
fer the grGvest injustice. In the end, however,
was the great purpose q teaching the people.
| Americans, Cubans and Spaniards alike, that
the representatives Of the municipality must
he respected because back Of them was tas
law.
This was a difficult lesson for many Americans
10 learn. To speak honestly the rank and hie
Of American representatives shown here are NOS
of the kind which il meek and lOwly in spirit
They are the sovereign rulers 81 a great republic.
They are deepchcs,ed, long legged and big
m,scled. They have a tendency 10 look upon
those who are not like Themselves physically
with great contempt. especially II the inferior
ones happen not 10 understand the English Ian
| CllYp. MS WIS fSUFNldllN uuf VI ~ ~
diers vino were discharged from the army in large
numbers during de early part Of last year In
their own country these fellows would probably
behave as well as the n"St man. no doubt some
what inSiucnced by the $50 pound policeman
who hung out around the corner. But down here
there were no such policemen. Instead there
was 4 dapprr little chap with n hollow chest and
a dark skin whose anatomy offered an Irresistible
target for Just one punch. The temptation 10
find out what would become NJ him II you landed
zone good one" was often too much for The scrap
PLY inclined and when l~iaNanas lines; hrst
tGrned out 10 keep order tley really melted dis
order among this grade Of men, who too often
had their natures heated 20 the fighting pitch
by Liquor.
The consequence Of all this was that q lot OF 20.
licemcu were thoroughly maulci Their beautiful
tasselled clubs that were aiken away from them by
rioious Americans one Of whom could comfortably
hanlie two or tirce policemen In q ~stand-up fight
So II Camc about the excitable Cuban, realizing
the hop-lessness Of using his club got ~ pullng
his revolver at tho slightest squall Things got
SO bad that several Drunken soldiers were
killed snd the heartlest hatred grew up between
Here is where The American authorities showed
their good sense. They backed up the police
mon in every possible case. Rio,ous soldiers
werr guard. housed merc.kssiy and ,urhu-
lent American citizens who started out ~ do
the dago cops were handsomely done when ihey
go, into the police court presided over bv Major
William i. Pitcher Of the Eighth Infantry, who
bears the lille 81 Supervisor Of fohes, lis-, was
the work Of putting ~stiffening into tue backbone
Of the policeman and teaching the pubic, re.
gardlrss # nationality, that the guardians Of
the peace must DO respected.
The Cuban, az well as the American, had
q lot 20 learn Like the irish, he - naturally
"ngin the Government" b'cNuse for centuries
the Government has been n foreign and Cypress
ing poyer aud n cant reGDz, IN q minute that
these policemen are his servants soon occasions
tur natives FLASHED With the copper and Tor me
doing ot il were hauled up with 50 round n turn
that Pitcher bcGme a bug = bg with which 10
fright.n babies. Ten dollars or ten days" slips
from his lips 10 often that NJ stage caricaturs
Of him is complete without the constant repetition
Of this phrase.
As run to-day under the chIefship Of Rafael
de Cardenas and the suRervisorship 81 Major
Pitcher, the Havana police force is really aine
organization. II has its faults, but the discipline
IS good. its members have learned self tes,raint
and courage has come with the knowledge that
thoy will be strongly supported when they have
acted rightly. Above all else the Cuban Police
man is polite. lie can give American officers
OF the law lessons in this respect which the latter
would do well 10 learn, Even when under great
excitement this national characteristics 81 courtesy
Is dominant and occasionally IN a ridiculous
cafe Of the Hotel Inglaierrs and some shots had
been fred, an excited mounted policeman sprang
from his horse with drawn revolver Rushing
up to the swayinC crowd which was dancing
around in a psnicky way, the Policeman pushed
his weapon under the noses Of those in trout and
began pushing men beck.
"Hdee me z! fdroyr' do me the favor he kept
shouting, waving. his arms violently. "CdboAero'.
! hdCs nr el fdroy!'
Imagine a New York Policeman trying 10 dis
pnrse a crowd with n gun and gentlemen. do me
the fayor" lts not in the Mood. 4 clIh and A
bunch n oaths would he much more likely. A
policeman who is always polite certainty has
his merits even though he he q little weak kne-d
and hollow che't"d and snHed-of. Prola'ly
when We get New York N licenen who are elwavs
polite and Havana p.lioemen who are oil Ing
and brav" and strong The world viii have reached
that stage when a police force will be a suI-r
nuIty."