Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1912-09-07
REFlJTES ISLANDER
ON lST INFANTRY
Soldiers Take Exception to
False Stories Appearing in
Portland Papers

lie FiISL up "
! man over the stories published in a
Portland (Ore.) paper, to the effect
that the First had turned Honolulu
upside down on its arrival, murdered
few innocent bystanders. and other
wise raised cain, in country where
there is already plenty of that com.
modify, provided the spelling in slight
| ly changed. n.
These stories found their way into
the Army and Navy Journal, with COM
ments in defense of the regiment, and
now comes REPUTATION from the First,
printed in the current issue of the
aforementioned service paper .
1t reads as follows: " -. r.
Schofield Barracks, H. T., ..
.. July q, 1912.
To the Editor of the Army and Navy
Journal: TX
With reference to the article appear
ing on page 1924, your issue of July
Ii, 1912, received today, l beg to de-
liver myself of the following:
The article in question, appearing
under the caption of Discipline in
the Army" is based upon an editorial
In the Portland Oregonian dealing
with the supposed troubles of the LIST
Infantry since arrival at Honolulu
now 1nasmfch as these troubles are
purely imaginary, it is greatly to be
regretted that the Service journal has
been led into the error of quoting from
paper which has been consistently
hostile to the Service in general and
the organizations stationed in its VI
cinity for the past four years to the
writer's knowledge. On at least one
occasion the writer forwarded to your
office one of the Oregonian's slurs at
the Service, which you evidently
thought deserved your editorial re.
Duke, for. it was so treated. The ar
ticle in question in this case is simply
what would be expected of paper
which refers editorially to the u. s.
army as "lot of idle, ornamental cit
izens," ETC.
In the present instance the. Orego-
MAN published column under the
heading of Special Correspondence
devoted to the supposed troubles of
the LIST Infantry since arriving at Ho-
nolulu. The disorders alluded to and
charged to the LIST Infantry are abb
solutely false, as no member of this
regiment was implicated in them. The
facts are these: Three or four acct
dental deaths and deaths by violence
occurred shortly after our arrival in
these Islands, none of which concern
ed this regiment, but all of which were
charged to us. The sole fatality in the
regiment was the accidental drowning
Of a young soldier of B Company while
on q practise march. Two other mem
beers of his company nearly lost their
lives In an attempt to save him. There
were no breaches of discipline other
than the few minor affairs handled
by the summary court. These facts
can readily be confirmed by the Off.
.cial records. The regiment has been
rather uncomfortable surroundings,
and it was somewhat of surprise,
but certainly not novelty, to read in
the Portland Oregonian of the deaths,
violence and general upheaval in the
regiment, which we, the members,
knew nothing about. Then to gid
the pill the Oregonian publishes the
editorial which you quote, and, thereby
giving the article additional publicity,
makes seeming explanation, which,
in view of the real circumstances, is
but an additional insult.
Now, considering the circulation OF
the Oregonian in the vicinity where
this regiment is well known, please
imagine the impression produced upon
its friends and acquaintances by such
mendacity, even If it were published
in good faith; and from a considerable
experience with the paper in question
the writer and several hundred others
do not think it was so published, and
our private opinion is that the gem
tleman responsible for the publication
of this and similar articles in the past
is a literary skunk. If you think these
strong words, please remember that
they represent strong feeling on the
part of regiment.
After writing to friends and rela'
tives to disabuse themselves Of any
false conceptions of the morale Of the
regiment, cleaned from the articles
aforementioned it is a little discon-
certing to find the same misinforma-
ton unwittingly disseminated through
out the Service through the medium
of your columns.
From past experience the members
of the regiment would consider 1t use
less to endeavor to secure fair and
just treatment at the hands of the
Oregonian, and unless higher authority
can cause that paper to publish re-
traction or correction the impression
created will doubtless remain. In the
Service we have every reason to be
lieve and expect that the Army and
Navy Journal will remove US from this