Pueblo chieftain., 1921-10-02
Bv Frederic J. Haskin.

Ottawa, Canada, Sept. S0.-The Roy-
|ai Canadian Mounted Police have
grudge against the movies and the ro-
mantle novel. Both of these fields OF
art have seen fit to seize on the
Northwest mounted policeman as
dashing and daring figure who rescues
heroines with one hand and shoots In
dians with the other. He is a sort OF
combination of Sir Gaiahad and Dead
Eye Dick.
1t is not argued that the mounted
police aren't heroic. They undeniapN
engage in some of the most thrilling
adventures left to civilization that Is
rapidly extracting most of the thriiis
out OF life. But the fic,ionized versions
of the mounted police life are In gen
Americans the lurid sort of ideas OF
Canada that English people used to
have of a woolly and 1ndian-infested
United States.
The highly colored tales in which
existence in the mounted police in
eludes at least one thrill every day
are nothing more than the legitimate
penalty of fame. AS the Royal North
west Mounted Police the organization
became the most famous police force
anywhere 1t will probably be some
time before people get used to the new
name which substitutes Canadian for
Northwest. The name was not chang
ed as disguise to escape publicity.
The force was simply combined with
other Canadian forces operating in oth.
ed sections of the country. The Royal
force is at work in every part of the
Dominion. and its duties are consid-
erably more than pursuing Indians
across the prairie at mad gallop.
For one thing. the mounted police
assist customs and immigration off
l.. t.. tah H.s
gers and drug dealers along the hord-
er. The smuggling of liquor from
very moist Quebec into the United
States is a perpetual source of worry
to the Canadian government.
A DECORATIVE GUARD
Others of the royal force guard the
public buildings at otta-a. For this
Particular duty. member of the force
wears a striking and becoming cos
tune. A dark blue spiked helmet with
a gilttering gold chain strap gives him
a military and British appearance. His
blue suit Is decorated with wide yell
low stripe down the trouser leg. ana
the formaiity of his position Is suhtly
suggested by white gloves. man In
this snappy outfit welcomes visitors
inside the door of each government
building in the city.
The adventures of the mounted po-
lice are not IN much among the In
zation is pushing farther north and
establishing outposts beyond the Arctic
circle. The men who patrol the frozen
Northwest have to be pioneers and ad-
venturers In very real sense They
have to travel in dog trains over the
endless frozen miles of northern Cana
da. and spend months or years In n
single quest.
Up there. the Eskimos arc giving
Canada trouble. These natives. like
the primitive Indians. have their own
customs, some of which are barbar-
GUS. Murder in some tribes is not re-
garded with aversion IL 1t seems justi-
fable. man who becomes immoral
they regard as insane. and II he gives
trouble may he knitted or strangled
with full approval of tho tribe.
Natives OF some bands have long had
the practice OF killing off their babies
when the band Is travelling and food is
scarce or when the mother docs not
consider II to the advantage OF the
/ family to he burdened with an extra
member. Old people. too. were once
killed II economic circumstances SEEM
cd to the tribe to warrant It, But
now, many young children and aged
people arc seen about the igioos Of the
Eskimos known to have had these
customs.
| The change is attributed. in a part
at least. to the mounted police It is
one of the duties OF patrol to gather
the people of band together and ex-
plain to them the white mans laws and
the penalties for breaking them. This
has been urgent business since trad
ers and explorers have pushed farther
and farther into the arctic regions 0n
Canada. Occasionally they bring back
word of a murder to the outpoets OF
| civilization. Sometimes a white man IL
the victim. In any case. when the
Canadian government hears of these
tragedies. II dispatches n patrol OF the
mounted police with orders to irvcsti-
gate or TO bring back the offender
| A realistic film of such an expedition
would have to preface nearly other
scene with six months later" In
one case the patrol which croeses
Canada every two years brought word
Of murder in the far North A mem
ber Of the mounted police was sent out
to get the guilty Eskimo. After irav-
cling year and hair over ice and
snow. through billiards, with long
stops when the weaNner made travel
| impossible, he caught one Eskimo re-
sponsible for thetrouble. Blu, there
was another He had no way to car
ry and gunrd n prisoner over long
trail. farther into the North. So he
left the native there. trusting TO the
| Eskimo band to hold him .rntil the re-
lup the first captive and got back to
headquarters after being gone four
years.
The result Of all thst persistence and
| hardship-ione1iness. discomfort, mono
| tony-was that the two Esldmos were
| acquitted on the grounds that the
murdered man had terrorized the peo-
pie. That is n story typical OF the
northern Canadian country.