Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-10-04
--anada's Famous Policemen.
BY Frederic J. IIaskin

ottawa. Canada. oct. 2.--The goyal
Canadian Mounted Police have q
grudgo against the movies and the ro-
mantle novel Both Of these fields Of
art have seen NJ 10 seize on the North
west mounted policeman ar q daehine
and daring figure who rescues hero
ines with one hand and shoots Indi-
ans with the other. He ls sort uf
combination Of Sir Galahad and Dead
Eye Dick.
It is not argued that the mounted
police aren't heroic. They undeniably
engage IN some of the most thrilling
adventures left TO civilization that
Is rapidly attracting most Of the
thrills out Of life. But the fictionized
versions Of the mounted police llfo
nre in general highly exaggerated and
give Americans the lurld sort Of
Ideas Of Canada that English people
fused 60 have OF a woolly and Indian
infested United States.
The highly colorpd tales in which
existence in the mounted police In
cludes at least one thrill every day
are nothing more than the legitimate
lpenalty Of fame. As the Royal North
west Mounted Police the organization
became the most famous police force
lanywhere. n viii probably be some
ltime before people get used to the new
name which substitutes Canadian for
Northwest. The name was not chang
ed as a disguise 20 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 par,
Of the Dominion. and its duties are
considerably more than pursuing
Indians across the prairie az mad
gallop.
For one thing. the mounted police
assist customs and immigration Of.
/ ficials in their efforts TO catch boot.
leggcrs and drug dealers along th'
border The smuggling OF liquor from
a very moist Quebec into the Unites
, States Is a perpetual source Of worr,
to the Canadian government.
I A Decorative Guard.
3 Others Of the royal force guard IN,
2 public buildings at Ottawa. For thi
particular duty, member Of tn
force wears a striking and becomini
e lcostume A dark blue spiked heirne
with a glittering gold chin strap give
n him n military and British appearance
= His blue suit Is decorated with a wild
e yellow stripe down the trouser lef
Q land the formality OF his position !
VI subtly suggested BY white gloves. .
q man in this snappy outfit welcome
q visitors inside the door Of each gov
Il crnment building in the city
The adventures Of the mounted pc
n lice are not so much among the Ind
! ans as in Eskimo land. The organiza
"A ton is pushing farther north and es
h tablishing outposts beyond the Arct
Circle. The men who patrol the froze
u Northwest have to be pioneers an
,s ladventurers in a very real sense. The
. have to travel in dog trains ov,
! the endless frozen miles Of norther
:, Canada. and spend months or years
a single quest.
Up there. the Eskimos are givir
2 Capada trouble. These natives, iii
y the primitive Indians have their ow
customs, some Of which are barbarou
ie Murder in some tribes is not regards
~ with aversion II II seems justifabl
'r A man who becomes immoral they r.
7" gard as insane. and IL he gives troub
e may be knitted or strangied with n
4 approval of the tribe.
nt Natives OF some bands have lof
~ had the practice Of killing on the
~ babies when the hand Is travelling az
~ food is scarce or when the moth
~ does not consider Il 10 the advantal
of the family 90 be burdened with
extra member Old people. too. We
once killed II economic circumatanc
seemed 10 the tribe 20 warrant
But now. many young children a
aged people are seen about the lgio
OF the EskimoH known 20 have b
these customs.
The change Is attributcd in a ni
at least. 20 the mounted police. n
one Of the duties of a patrol 90 gath
the people Of band together and g
plain TO them the white mans la
and the penalties for breaking the