The St. Johns herald., 1900-04-28
, HAvANA's POLITE POLICE.
Native Guardians of the Peace Are Now Respected in the
 Cuban City.

l
 Havana policemen have turned out
 to be not half-bad chaps. For time
 the success of native police force
 looked little dubious. There was a
 lack of administrations it might
 better be called-combined with an ex- citability which looked i'll for the fu-
 ture of Havana's biue-eoated guardians
 of the peace. But both the people and
 the officers of the law have learned a
 good deal through the experience of
 the year just past and mutual respect
 has begun to grow up. This has been
 wisely fostered by the American au-
 thorities sometimes with such meas.
 ures that individuals appeared to suf-
 fer the gravest injustice. In the end,
 however, was the great purpose of ! teaching the people, Americans, Cubans and Spaniards alike, that the repre-
 sentatives of the municipality must be
 respected because back of them was the
 law.
 This was a difficult lesson for many ! Americans to learn. To speak honestly : the rank and file of American repre- sentatives here are not of the kind
 which is meek and lowly in spirit. They are the sovereign rulers of great re-
 public. They are deep-chested, long
 legged and big-muscled. They have tendency to look upon those who are
 not like themselves physically with contempt, especially if the inferior ones happen not to understand the English language. This was especially true of the soldiers who were discharged from the army in large numbers during the early part of last year. In their own country these fellows would probably behave as we'll as the next man, nc doubt somewhat influenced by the 180- pound policeman who hung out around the corner. But down here there were no such policemen. Instead there was dapper little chap with hollow chest ard dark skin whose anatomy offered an irresistible target for just one punch. The temptation to find out what would become of him if you land ed ''one good one" was often too-much for the scrappily inclined and when Havana's finest" first turned out to keep order they really melted disorder among tEis grade of men, who too often had their natures heated to the fighting pitch by liquor.
 The consequence of all this was that lot of policemen were thoroughly mauled. Their beautiful tasselled clubs were often taken away from them by the riotous Americans, one Of whom could comfortably handle two or three policemen in a stand-up fight. So 1t came about the excitable Cuban, re- alizing the hopelessness of using his club, got to pulling his revolver at the slightest squall. Things got so bad that several drunken soldiers were killed and the heartiest hatred grew up be- tween the two forces.
 Here is where the American authori- ties showed their good sense. They backed up the policemen in every possi- :: ble case. Riotous soldiers were guard i housed" merciiessly and turbulent 1 American citizens who started out to ] do the dago cops" were handsomely : done when they got into the police court presided over by Maj. William F. Pitcher, of the Eighth infantry, who ! bears the title of supervisor of the po- i lice. His was the work of putting stiff ! fening in the backbone of the police : men and teaching the public, regard : less of nationality. that the guardians i of the peace must be respected.
 The Cuban, as we'll as the American, ! had lot to learn. Like the Irish, he is naturally "agin the government" be- . cause for centuries the government has i been foreign and expressing power ! and he can't realize in minute that 1 these policemen are his servants. So 1 on occasions the natives clashed with i the coppers and for the doing of it were hauled up with so round turn that ! Pitcher became bug-a-boo with which 1; to frighten babies. Ten dollars or ten days" slips from his lips so often that 10 stage caricature of him is complete without the constant repetition of this phrase.
 As run to-day under the chiefship of Rafael de Cardenas and the supervisor ship of Maj. Pitcher, the Havana police force is really a fine organization. It has its faults, but the discipline is good, it's members have learned self-re- straint and courage has come with the knowledge that they will be strongly supported when they have acted rigid ty. Above all else the Cuban police man is polite. He can give American officers of the law lessons in this re- spect which the latter would do we'll to earn. Even when under great excite ment this national characteristic of courtesy is dominant and occasionally n ridiculous way. One night wher here was row at the cafe of the Hotel Ipglaterra and some shots had been fired, an excited mounted policeman Eprang from his horse with drawn re- volver. Rushing up to the swaying crowd which was dancing around in a panicky way, the policeman pushed his weapon under the noses of those in front and began pushing men back.
 ''Hage me el favor!" Oo me the fa- vor), he kept shouting, waving his arms violently. "Cabelleros, haze me el fa- vor!"
 Imagine New York policeman try ing to disperse crowd with gun and gentlemen, do me the favor" It's not in the blood. A club and bunch of paths would be much more likely. 4 policeman who is always polite certain ly has his merits even though he be little week-kneed and hollow-chested and sawsd-off. Probably when We get New York policemen who are always polite and Havana nOlicemep Uho arp all big and brave and strong the world