Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-06


the policeman in any country to rejoice
within him.
When it became known that the pay
Of the police had been increased and
that they were otherwise the recipients
of numerous official requests, there was
rush on the part of the natives to
join the force. with the result that be-
fore long Chief Lamb found that the
ranks were fl led and that there were
numerous applications on file for APP
pointments to the force-a thing that
had not happened before in the memory
of the oldest inhabitants.
Having thus assured himself Of having
a police force to reorganize. the new chief
bent to his labors with redoubled energy.
He was entirely ignorant of the language
when he struck Guatemala, and was
obliged to transact all his business
through the interpreter that the govern
ment put at his disposal; but that was
only q sight obstacle. In fact Lamb
had but little difficulty in mastering Span
ish. and in little while he was making
himself understood in the weird pigeon
Spanish that the Anglo-Saxon manages
to pick up after a short sojourn in a
Spanish country. In less than a year
he was able to get along without his
interpreter, and now he is pretty fair
cOiNeTSdtiOndl ST III the eastman tongue.
Naturally enough. the new chief took
the local pc ice force for his model in
the work of reorganization. He was the
head Of the police, not only Of the capt.
tai. Guatemala City, but of all the police
of the entire Republic of Guatemala. The
capital city is q charming place of about
5000 inhabitants situated on a plateau
about 1913 miles from the gulf coast, at
an altitude of $500 feet. This high alti-
tude compensates for the 'ow latitude and,
climate of Guatemala is not at all I'M
pleasant. but, rather, very much to the
contrary. 1t is a dry cool climate that
is very healthful For many months in
the year there is scarcely any rain, and
even in the rainy season the spells of
rain are not as noticeable as they are In
our weepy month of April. The houses
of Guatemala are all bui on the Spanish
American plan so familiar to every visitor
to Mexico. They are generally of one
story, with red-tiled roofs, built around
a courtyard. and have little If any. archi-
tectural beauty when seen from the street
The interior courtyardS however are fire.
quently most beautiful. They are sur
rounded by wide. shady piazzas. or COW
cred corridors, from which all the rooms
OF the house open.
1t was to this city that Lamb came to
make his headquarters. He divided the
city into five precincts, which he placed
under the command of commentaries
who correspond to our precinct captains
of Washington. The organization of the
precincts was almost exact copy OF
the organization here in Washington.
There Were tenientes, similar to the
iieutenants here. to serve as aids to the
communicate and there were. sarjentes
and inspectores and policias. The sar-
jentes. instead of having roundsmen's
duties as they do here. were in charge
of the station houses. and the inspectores.
who We're the next ranking to the pr-
Yates. Were intrusted with the work of
making the rounds.
Some of those men down there" said
Lamb, in answer to a question. were as
good policemen as l ever expect to see
anywhere. l especially remarked of the