The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-06-29
A QUESTION
Of MILITIA
Legislature Has Full
Say on 1t.
IGNORED BY THE BILL
National Guard System May or May
Not be Established in
Hawaii.

| Much interest has been expressed by
Hawaiians in the future of the Ma
tional Guard. Some have the idea that
the National Guard is no more owing
to the Decentralization Of this country.
The facts are that there will be little
change in the status of the present
militia or in their numbers unless the
legislature makes it. 1t is proba BILE
that Hilo will be given a company and
1t is barely possible that one of the
other islands may be honored in this
way.
| AT present there is but one regiment
! OF the Hawaiian National Guard
! When Hawaii was annexed this regt-
ment took the oath to support the Con-
sttution of the United States, as also
that of the Republic Governor Dole
said day ago that the members of the
First Regiment would receive commits
sions from him as Governor of the Ter
ritory and that would be practically the
only change necessary.
! He said that he had looked into the
Idesirability of a company being formed
at Hilo and that if the proper material
offered he would willingly permit it.
tory, Mr.. Dole is entitled to long
stan OF Colonels and also an Adjutant-
/ General. The Adjutant- General in the
Territories of the mainland, as in the
full-hedged states is an important in
dividual Under the Governor he con-
trolls the militia and his duties are ar
duous. The position is generally sought
Tor diligently by men of a military turn
and its occupant finds it no sinecure
The Governor may not commission
an Adjutant-General. He does not
have to do so unless the legislature con-
stitutes the office. There is no mention
in the Territorial Bill of an Adjutant-
General, nor in fact of the militia at
all, except the bare statement that the
Governor shall be the head of the mill
tia. This matter is left entirely to the
Legislature. The legislature may. If it
sees fit, establish a militia system for
as many regiments with officers as 1t
wishes. 1t may create more regiments
or may put out of existence the present
one. The entire power is in it's hands.
The United States makes an annual
appropriation for the support of the
militia of States and Territories and
Hawaii will have this to assist in the
support Of a National Guard should
the present one be continued or enlarg-
ed. What the amount is does not APP
pear in the statistical almanacs
Little has been done by the National
Guard in establishing a battery bat
TALON pure and simple. The present
regiment belongs to the artillery SER
vice, and all the accoutrements and
paraphernalia of the officers and men
indicate that branch. They are, how
ever, serving as infantry using the
Springfield rifle on all occasions. Sell
dom is gun of the God collection of
artillery brought out for parades or for
drill purposes.
The Government is in possession of a
fine battery of light artillery which Ka-
lakaua came into possession of during
his incumbency of the throne. These
guns together with several gatlings are
stored away in sheds in the Executive
grounds. There is every thing essen
tar to the needs of an artillery bat
talon whenever 1t can be organized.
rms is a popular branch of national
guard service in most of the States, but
lew OF them have accomplished results
which have brought them into promin-
ence except the Utah Light Artillery
which gained such distinction in the
Philippines. Artillery was not thought |
OF IN Utah until about five years ago, |
ana even after the guns We're procured /
from the War Department little inter-
est was taken. The fact, however. tina,
there was battalion of artillery in
Utah when the Spanish war broke out
was sufficient cause for it to be sent to
the Philippines, although two regiments
OF infantry were in existence but ig-
nored.