The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-10-03

Ottawa, Canada, OCt.
Royal Canadian Mounted PoIice
have a grudge against the mosies -
and the romantic novel. both VI
these fields of art have seen NJ "
seize on the northwest mounted po-
uceman as a dashing and daring No
ure who rescues heroines WIN one
hand and shoots Indians Win ths
other. He is a sort OF com olnatlUn
of Fir Galahad and Dead Eye DfeA
1t is not argued that the mouhteu
police aren't heroic. They unoe-
niably engage in some OF the ms
thrilling adventures left TO a cisili-
cation that is rapidly extraeIrns
most of the thrills out OF ire. Du'
the fctionized versions OF tne
mounted police life are IN genera d
highly exaggerated and give Amefl-
cans the lurid sort OF IDEAS VI
Canada that English people used 10
have of a woolly and Indian-lnfest@
ed United States.
The highly colored tales IN
which existence in the mounted pc,
lice includes at least one tnrllI
every day are nothing more IMAM
the Legitimate penalty of fame. AS
the Royal Northwest Mounted 70
lice. 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 LOT
northwest. The name was not
changed as a disguise to escape
publicity. The force was simply
combined with other Canadian
forces operating in other sections
of the country. The royal force is
at work in every part of the DO
.minion, and it's duties are consider
ably more than pursuing Indians
across the prairie at mad gailop.
For one thing, the mounted po-
lice assist customs and immigration
officials in their efforts to catch
bootleggers and drug dealers along
the border The smuggling of
liquor from a very $noist 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 Ottawa. For
this particular duty, member of
the force wears a striking and be-
coming costume. A dark blue
spiked helmet with a glittering gold
chin strap gives him military and
British appearance His blue suit
is decorated with a wide yellow
stripe down the trouser leg, and the
Formally of his position is subtly
suggested by white gloves. A man
in this snappy outfit welcomes visit
ors inside the door of each govern
ment building in the city.
The adventures of the mounted
police are not so much among the
Indians as in Eskimo land. The
organization is pushing farther
north and establishing outposts be-
yond the Arctic circle The men
who patrol the frozen northwest
have to be pioneers and Adventures
in q very real sense. They have to
travel in dog trains over the end
less frozen miles of northern Can
ada, and spend months or years in
a single quest
Up there, the Eskimos are giving
Canada trouble. These natives. like
the primitive Indians, have their
own customs, some of which are
barbarous. Murder in some tribes
is not regarded with aversion if it
seems justifable. A man who be-
comes immoral they regard as in
sane, and if he gives trouble may be
knitted or strangled with full ap-
prevail Of the tribe.
Natives of some bands have long
had the practice of killing of their
babies when the band is travelling
and food is scarce or when the
mother does not consider it to the
advantage of the family to be bur-
dened with an extra member. Old
people, too, were once killed if
economic circumstances seemed to
the tribe to warrant it. But now.
many young children and agedapeo- /
pie are seen about the igloos of the !
Eskimos known to have had these (
customs. {
The change is attributed. in a
part at least, to the mounted police. 3
1t is one of the duties of a patrol to
gather the people of a band to-