The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1896-01-20

violin, but thrummed like guitar
and they sing in soft voices air
devoid of strong originally, yet suf
ffcientIy unlike English or American
ballads to be warmly welcomed by
thirsty ears.
Troops on Parade.
Again at O'Clock in the morning
serenaders awakened me. / think
they We're serenading Queen Liliuo-
kalani, who lives in retirement near
by, and were paying her the compli-
ment of singing a song said to have
been composed by her. Three hours
later bugle called the troops to order
not three blocks away from the royal
residence. I wondered what LiliuO-
kalani thought of the new kind OF
Thanksgiving that meant the down.
fall of monarchy. The Hawaiian
army was ordered to parade for the
first time and began marching at S 30
Few American regulars would have
done better, and though you may be
inclined to laugh at an army OF 750
men, it would be folly for the Govern
ment TO have more troops and unwise
to have less. A more peaceable pOpu-
heterogeneous material, but no one
knows what might happen were all
signs of force to disappear. Stories OF
filibusters still prevade the air, though
where these filibusters are to get the
sinews of war nobody knows. Royal
lists would undoubtedly like to see the
Queen restored, but after the fiasco of
last January not one of them Is likely
to actively conspire.
1t was the January events that led
the Government to reorganize its
troops. Nothing ia SO expensive as
incapacity. President Dole and his
advisers discovered this fact after
spending 100000 on a crazy insur-
rection that experts say ought not to
have cost half that amount.
Commanded by an American.
With a view to bringing order out
of chaos, the Government invited
Robert Hamilton Mclean, late of the
United States navy. to take command
of their troops, with the rank OF
colonel. Judging by results it Is safe
to say that Colonel Mclean Is the
right man in the right place. A native
of New Jersey, Mclean as boy was
go determined to be an officer in the
United States navy as to apprentice
himself before the mast in the naval
training ship Sabine, where he served
along the coast for year with An
napolis in view. At the end OF that
time twenty apprentices were sent up
for examination, ten of whom could
be selected by law. Out OF these
twenty only six passed muster. NC
Lean was at their head. He gradu
ated fourth in his class. After twenty
years of active service in the navy
Mclean took q years leave of absence
to visit Europe and then resigned to
become commandment of the Chelten-
ham Military Academy near Ph11a-
deIphia. knowledge OF McLean's
special capacity in organization and
discipline led the Hawaiian Govern
ment TO apply for his services as early
as June, 1894, but 10 positive action
was taken until the trouble OF last
January convinced all supporters or
the Republic that there could be no
further delay in securing com
mander.
Colonel Mclean assumed command
of the army last May. 1t consisted at
that time of two companies OF sixty
men each and of four companies OF
volunteers. Their condition was far
from satisfactory. Eighteen sentrles
guarded the palace, now used as
Government building, and twelve
pieces of artillery stood in the palace
grounds, with loaded muZzles pointed
toward the four streets surrounding 1t.
Instituted Some Reforms.
Colonel McLean's first reform was
to reduce the seDtinels to four. The
timid were sure something would nap
pep, and nothing has happened since.
His next reform was to take off those
twelve guns, and thus remove source
of irritation to royalists and to nervous
omen and children, who felt that
they were being perpetually menaced
Cities assured Colonel Mclean that
he was inviting revolution, but, as he
wished to silence the slur cast on the
republic of being "a government OIL
bayonets," and to Danish all signs OF
war. he followed the dictates of COM
mon sense. Discipline and Increased
vigilance have been excellent subStl-
tutes for loaded guns, and the people
are more content than they have been
for many months.
As now organized, the Hawaiian
army consists of eight companies OF
700 men, fifty sharpshooters, a mount
ed reserve of forty young fellows who
ride with the ease of cowboys, twenty,
four mounted police and thirty two
foot police. In addition Is valuable
citizens guard OF 700 responsible resi-
dents of Honolulu, who wear no uni
forms, but are fully armed and equip
ned, and whose duty it is to keep order
in town in the event of trouble. The
efficiency of this guard was tested last
January. In a few minutes after the
alarm sounded every street corner had
its armed sentinel and no one passed
without a permit. II fili6usters de-
scend upon this island of Oahu they
will have hard time getting into the
CITY and much harder time getting |
ont, To enter the harbor is bare
possibility. Three other possible land |
fngs are feasible, not one of which but
l. I-nor,rr, In holt hour |