The Hawaiian gazette., 1911-02-28
Lawmakers Tour the Forts and
See Big Guns That Are
Ready for Defense.
ARE GUESTS OF GENERAL
Legislators and Soldiers Put Out
of Business by the
Mud.

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Big guns, monster mortars, immense
piles Of concrete, soldiers afoot and sol
diers mounted, salutes and generals were
paraded before the members Of the Ha-
waiian legislature yesterday and by
last night the local lawmakers were
properly impressed with the fact that
what they had heard of the millions
being spent here by Uncle Sam must be
true. The legislators also went to bed
with the idea firmly irnbued that it is
up to them 20 do their duty toward the
common country by providing as lib
orally as possible for the national guard
The members of the senate and house
were the guests yesterday of Brigadier-
General Macomb, commander of the
military district, who had invited them
TO make tour of inspection with him
of the various army posts. Twelve big
autos with the Legislators, eseorting
army officers and national guard officers
left the capitol at nine O'Clock. Twelve
hours later, FIVE autos, containing all
that had survived the trip, returned to
town from Leilehua.
General Macomb, with the president
of the senate and the speaker of the
house, rode in the front machine, the
FIRST stop being made at Fort Ruger.
Here the party received salute and
watched the coast artillerymen load
the mortars and take imaginary shots
at an enemy, They journeyed into the
crater and inspected the fire control
and generally marveled at the great
amount of work that had been done.
From Fort Kruger the party Travelled
TO Fort DeRussy and saw the forty
Thousand ton foundations installed for
the expected fourteen-inch guns and
the massive protection walls of con-
crete for guns and magazines. Fort
Armstrong, with its two fifteen-pounder
defenders of the mine field, were rex
amined next and then the party swept
on out to Fort Skater.
Here the party was met by Major
Dunning. General Macomb, the presi-
dent and the speaker, hanked by Chap
lain Desha, reviewed the infantry,
which stood and marched, spick and
span, in the beautifully drilled man
ner Honolulans have associated with
the Twentieth.
The stop at Fort Shafter was short
one, the majority Of the party remain
ing in their machines, out of the driZ-
cling rain.
At Fort Kamehameha was seen the
two great twelve-inch disappeaiers,
mounted and ready for action. The
sight of these great rifles. rising into
firing position at the touch of hand,
impressed the laymen of the party tre-
mendously.
The trip being one under auspices of
the army, no stop was made at the
Pearl Harbor drydock site or on the
naval reservation.
1t was between Kamehameha and Lei
Jenna that the grim enemy mud attacked
the party, placing hors de combat the
leading general, the chairman of the
senate military committee and the presi-
dent and speaker, to say nothing of
minor casualties. When Leilehua Scho-
field Barracks was reached, only five
machines answered the rollcall, and it
was seen that the man highest in rank
was Keliinoi, chairman of the house
military committee. The Maui states-
man stepped boldly into the breach,
however, and received the CHEEKY greet
ings Of Colonel Wheeler of the fifth
Cavalry like veteran. The party was
made welcome in Fifth Cavalry style
and entertained in the officers club
until the regiment was called out and
the field artillery limbered up for re-
view.
This part Of the days program was
splendid. The artillery company fired
a seventeen-gun salute for the legisla-
tors and the troopers passed in splendid
review, with colors flying.
Again Drawing the mud. the party
reached town without further loss.
49,