The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-05-16
THE LADIES AND THE PLANS
TO ENTERTAIN THE FLEET

months off, some practical return for
the outlay of our money will be real
lied in aiding our associations in Civ
ing Honolulu place where other fleets
may be entertained and other enter
tainments given.
In the plans is a huge stage go by 81
where the sailors could be given con
certs and they in return give US min
trel shows, etc.
| Thanking you in advance for your
giving us space for our letter, we re
main, yours for a appointed
reception and bail at "The lanai
SOME HONOLULU LADIES.
P. S.-For special occasions the Rapid
Transit Company arranges a car system
from the Marketplaee to all parts of
Honolulu without transfers.
ANOTHER SIDE OF TT.
| Editor Advertiser: There are prob
ably few men in Honolulu as contlnu-
ously occupied with their work as
am, and so. having no time to devote
TO public affairs, I studiously refrain
from trying to tell others who do give
a portion of their time to necessary
public matters, how and what they
should do. But I feel impelled to break
my own rule just now after reading the
report in this mornings paper of the
meeting of the battleship fleet enter
tainment committee yesterday. would
they snub the tars? Fear is expressed
that society here is exclusive"
The above quotation from your head
lines is my text-and I promise you my.
sermon will be brief The Atlantic feet
was anchored in the Santa Barbara
channel a couple of weeks or SO ago,
and the pretty little exclusive" city of
Santa Barbara was host for the naval
visitors. I have received Santa Bar
bara papers giving accounts of the en-
tertainments for the fleet there; and
without the papers I could tell, to a
nicely, just what, in all probability,
would be done-for about twenty-five
years of my life, off and on, have been
spent in that city. A great deal of
wealth is represented in Santa Barbara,
held by people who have gone there for
homes after having had their work
day in some other part of the world.
is exclusive"
The first floral festival on the Pacific
Coast was held at Santa Barbara
and the idea was quickly adopted by
almost every town in Southern Califor-
mia. When the fleet was at Santa Bar
bara the visitors were entertained with
a big floral parade that closely resem-
bled in size and arrangement Honolu-
LUIS carnival on last Washington's
Birthday, only, in the case of Santa
Barbara, every flower was a natural
one. The admiral and other high rank
ing officers were toadied to; but 1 am
unable to learn that much attention
was given to ''the man behind the
gum" except by people who had some-
thing to sell him at exorbitant prices.
Naval officers are fiattered so much
that it is doubtful if Santa Barbara
made much impression upon them, one
way or another: but the frank and
file' of the armada seem to have felt
the neglect to them keenly, for word
not complimentary to Santa Barbara
has gone almost everywhere that news
penetrates. What has Santa Barbara
gained?
Honolu1u's turn to entertain the fleet
will soon come, and I sincerely hope no
favoritism or toadyism will be mani
tested here. AS there are. of course, so
many more men than officers, more
effort should be given for their enter
tainment.
The indications are almost conclusive
that the island of Oahu will. within a
few years, be the most formidable nav
al station in the world. The $4,000, 900
and odd already appropriated by Con-
60 -
cations nearer Honolulu, will be fol-
lowed by many millions more The
general government is now committed
to fortify Oahu and do it we'll, not
because it loves the people here so
what it costs. it will be much cheaper
way to protect the entire Pacific coast
line of the country than to erect an
almost continuous line of forts from
San Diego to Cape Flattery, and then
few along the Alaskan coast This
will all mean that naval men will soon
be in evidence in Honolulu as never
before. Naval men will be our pro-
tectors- Then wouldn't it be just as
well for us in the future if in the
weeks stay of the big fleet here in
July, the mass of the men don't de-
velop "sorehead?" "Sorehead" is not
an easy thing to cure. as some of us
who raise chickens know full well.
The mass of the men in the American
navy are gentlemen. and should be
treated as such. whether they wear
gold braid or simply collars with an
anchor upon them. And the man who
attempts to get dollars out of them for
doughnuts with holes in them may re-
greet his avariciousness.
LEVERETT H. MESICK
Honolulu. May Is, 1908.