The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1908-03-11
MIDWAY
MARINES
WHY WE'RE THE MEN NOW BE.
ING RECALLED EVER PLACED
ON THE ISLAND?

q do not know why the Marines at
Midway are recalled said Admiral
Very, Commandant, U. s. Naval sta
ton. this morning. and he added: Il
do not know why they were ever sta
toned there"
Admiral Very went on to remark
that it would be a great relief to this
station to have the Marines brought
here from Midway, where they can be
fed without sending their meals down
in the Iroquois,
When The Stars exclusive report,
yesterday afternoon, of the U. S. S.
tug Iroquois being ordered to Midway.
was read, there were at once many
speculations as to the significance of
the move. People wondered if it had
anything to do with war-talk, fleet
movements and strategic prepara-
tions. though there was nothing in
the report to suggest any such con-
nection. An officer this morning re-
marked that the Japanese-American
situation has received so much COM
ment that many were ready to take
any simple move as Indicative of trou-
BILE.
Midway has been a little Siberia,
in a way, to the marines stationed
there for a year at a time and they
will doubtless be glad to reach larg-
er life.
Nevertheless the coming together
of events lends some color to the
theory that Washington is looking out
for the little things as well as the
| big things in the Pacific and does
not intend to leave handful Of sol
diers on the far away islet at the
mercy, for example, of such as they
who are pirating the rookeries up
north in schooners carrying machine
guns.
The men of the Iroqdois are hustl-
ing as they have never hustled before
and although the lroquois did not go
on the marine railway until late yes
terday afternoon she has already had
her bottom scraped clean and has re-
ceived one coat of paint. She will
steam away for Midway shortly after
noon tomorrow.
Captain ]. F. Carter was this morn
| ing in consultation with Captain Piltz
of the Commercial Pacific Gable Com
pany's schooner Flaurence Ward in
regard to conditions on the island
when last the Ward was there.
Coal is aboard the tug and she is
being provisioned for thirty days or
more 1t is over six months since
| H. T.oo,,o{, v,,o5o apxr trip owav frOun
the islands. She returned from john
son Island on August 80 last.
Admiral Very, as is invariably the
case with that cultured gentlemen,
was most courteous in his interview
with the press this morning. when
I saw the headlines in The Star, ="
said he, "I was for a moment Won
dering what great event had occurred,
for l had not supposed the recall OF
the Midway marines would occasion
so great interest" Apparently the
Admiral is not inclined to attach any
particular significance to the aban'
doning of the post on Midway.
Although Captain Carter's term OF
service here is expiring this month,
the expiration of the usual two years
does not interfere with his going out
in command of the Iroquois; indeed
he might stay ON here year before
he is relieved. Though not by any
means a sweet-tempered man he is
conceded to be thoroughly capable
and to understand his business. II
he could get newspaper men aboard
the Iroquois he'd use them for fuel
} Though no one knows why.