The Hawaiian gazette., 1886-10-19

! purposes. To the question. Are the mill
tary as at present organized of any prac-
/ ticle use? the inevitable answer Is No.
4 For example: During the last elections
the army was ordered to be paraded at
certain time and to march to the Palace
1 grounds, there to remain during the day
/ of election in case any trouble should arise
at the polls. or elsewhere. The idea is
I good one. for the police force is small and
I fully occupied on such a day Trouble
might possibly arise, though not proba-
I bic. The mere fact of the people know
/ ing that a disciplined force is in their
immediate vicinity to act with promptness
! IN case of disturbance, is an excellent pre-
4 ventatiye of rowdyism. The carrying out
I of the idea, however. owing to utter lack
/ of discipline and wilful neglect of orders
/ by the officers, was an utter failure. The
understanding was that the men in patches
/ OF ten should, without arms or officers,
leave the Palace grounds, record their
votes and Immediately return to let other
/ ten OF their comrades do likewise. Batches
/ Of ten went to the ballot but failed TO re
| turn. Other patches of ten went to vote,
with orders to bring back the missing;
but they likewise joined the absentees.
Before noon there was one officer left to
! the remnant of three volunteer COM
panies. Discipline was at an end The
only attempt at a disturbance at the
polls was participated in by soldiers
IN uniform. Had any necessity arisen for
q show of force, there could have been
none.
The army was called on to do a simple
duty, to show the slightest shadow of dis
eipline and the result was ignominous
failure. 1t would seem that to the mind
of the Hawaiian officer. an order is given
for the express purpose of being totally
disregarded On the occasion of the
funeral ceremonies of a lamented chiefess,
volunteer companies undertook in turn
the mounting of guards from sunset to
sunrise Certain orders with regard to
admission into the grounds of the resi-
denee were given by the proper authority.
When it came to the turn of the foreign
company to mount the guards, their first
or almost first appearance before the public.
the indigenous population were quite as.
tonished to find that to them an order was
a command to be carried out to the letter.
regardless OF persons. The sentries did
not lean against the gate post to tell or
hear the inca hou" Their full attention
vas GOLl144Gu W Nl4C Cu1OIClIS VI luelI
spective orders. This was something new
and incomprehensible to the curious
crowd.
There is a great deal of good to be de-
rived from a well organized volunteer
force, 1t has beneficial effect in many
ways Wheretthere Is esprit de corps there |
Is efficiency; but when the main object Of (
forming a corps Is the chance of period !
zeal free feed, or an entree into the free I
gin circles, the least prominence given |
to such q farce the less ridicule viii be |
heaped on it.
German system or no German system, /
one arm Of the Hawaiian army ought to
be abolished Immediately The pitiful
burlesque of a caralTy guard should be
seen no more. If they do make an APP
pearance IN public again, take a five-min-
ute survey of them, horses men and arms.
"Oh the pity of 1t says" time was when
they carried apologies for lances, resting
inside TIER boots, now the rusty sabers have
taken the place of the weapon of Knight
errantry. The Hawaiian uhlan is indeed
a snare and delusion, much more dan
gerous to friend than to foe The hope
of the nation with regard to the army is
on three Institutions:
1. The adoption of the German system.
2. The Excellent General Staff
3. The Intelligence Officer.
In few months we can judge of how
the reconstruction of the army works and
then make comment.
One word more. The Major Generals,
Governors of Islands, are in cases of ma
tonal danger allowed to proclaim mar
ial law" Have they any idea what
martial law is? Is there any officer in the
Hawaiian army qualified by his knowledge
Of military-law to sit on a court-martial? |
How can a court-martial be formed in any
case out of Oahu? A Major General in
spite OF his exalted rank cannon form a
court by himself Why did the author of
-he army Bill' put in such silly clause,
which on the face of it is impossible to
carry out What display of Grass ignor-
ance. How foreigners who visit these
Stands, foreign residents, naval and mill
AIRY men who pass through must enjoy
he contemplation of the Hawaiian army
How pleased they must be at the intelli- !
gence and military capacity of the officers.
The tide is however at the food 1t is
impossible to make any institution more
idiculous in the eyes of the public, The
expedition to Ocean Island was to this
country as the Mexican expedition to
France, an object for Jest and sneer.
When in the Legislature of 1888, the
of the General Staff are inquired
INTO. and the reports of the Intelligence
officer called for, it is safe to predict an
expose which will not add greatly to
lrmy prestige in Hawaii. OBSERVER.
oaun-st eapa saEanno