When
he picked himself up, confused and half stunned, the policeman tied a bit
of string to his belt and led him away in triumph to the station.
The policeman never has any trouble with his own people; they obey at once
and without question. If a crowd gathers and becomes a nuisance to anyone,
it melts as soon as one of the little men in uniform comes along and gives
the order to disperse. He may sometimes be seen lecturing a coolie or
rickshaw-boy for some misdeed or other. The culprit, his big hat held
between his hands, ducks respectfully at every second word, and looks all
humility and obedience.
Being an educated man, he has much sympathy with art and artists, and is
delighted to help a foreigner who is painting scenes in Japan. Mr. Mortimer
Menpes says: "Altogether I found the policeman the most delightful person
in the world. When I was painting a shop, if a passer-by chanced to look in
at a window, he would see at a glance exactly what I wanted; and I would
find that that figure would remain there, looking in at the shop, as still
as a statue, until I had finished my painting; the policeman meanwhile
strutting up and down the street, delighted to be of help to an artist,
looking everywhere but at my work, and directing the entire traffic down
another street."
Of the Japanese soldier there is no need for us to say much here, since
the world has so lately been ringing with his praises. The endurance, the
obedience, the courage of the Japanese soldier and sailor have been shown
in marvellous fashion during the great war with Russia, and Japan has fully
proved herself to be one of the greatest of the naval and military Powers
of the world.
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