Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1912-12-07
TOREPEL INVADERS
National Guard and Volunteers
Must Join with Regular
Troops
ARMY OFFICERS DECRY
ATTEMPT ON ARM0RY
Major ConkIin, General Staff,
Says Citizen Soldiery Is
Essential to Plans

That the National Guard is counted
on to play very important part in
the defense of Oahu in the event OF
invasion. and that the regular. troops
to be sent here under the plan of the
general staff will need the aF"'st-
ance of the citizen soldiery, is ne
emphatic statement Of army higher
ups" in this department. Not. only
must the present infantry regiment
he brought to high state OF effici-
ency. but additional militia troops
must be organized, and provision
made for regiments Of volunteers to
answer to sudden call TO duty with
the colors.
Hawaii's urgent need for defenders
or its own was forcibly brought fbt
this morning by Major A. S. Conkiin,
the general staff officer who report
cd for duty here month ago. Major
Conklin is probably as well posted as
any man in the army onrthe plans OF
the general staff for the fortification
and defense of Oahu, and the protec-
tion of Pearl Harbor, and this morn
ing he came out flat-footed against
any attempt to divert the territorial
funds appropriated for the construc.
tion of the new national guard armory
TO other purposes, with the conse-
qaent return OF the armory site to the
federal government.
Militia Needed
There seems to be an impression
Ia some quarters that the regular
army is indifferent to the militia OF
Hawaii, and that the regular troops
eventually TO be sent here will be
sufficient to defend Oahu" said Major
GonElin. g'Just the reverse is the
case. Oahu needs at the very least
mobile force consisting of a full di-
vision OF infantry, with auxiliary cav
airy and field artillery. Now these
troops can not be spared from an
army the size of ours, and the plan
of the general staff, which | under
stand has been published here, pro-
vides for only six regiments Of in
fantry; and one each of cavalry and
field artillery, besides coast defense
troops. We should have at least
three regiments of militia TO make the
division organization, but whether or
not this is practicable is another
matter. Il.
Honolulu is attempting to recruit
q full regiment, while cities in the
States or about the same population
maintain company, or at most a
battalion Therefore, il looks as
though the organization of full bri-
,gade was out of the question just
now.
There should, however, be a full
regiment of national guard on Oahu,
and battalion on Maui, Hawaii and
Kauai This would make two regi.
ments of Infantry, and they should be
kept up 10 the highest state of effici-
ency. There is real need for troops
on the other islands, because in the
case of war between the United States
and an Oriental nation. tae Territory,
on account of its greatly mixed Popn-
lation, would be filled with the enc
my'S cOuntrymen and sympathiSerS.
TO avoid an in%ernA uprising ii would
he necessary 10 get these unfriendl!
inhabitants into concentration camps,
ito prevent them from giving active
aid, and possibly it would be thought
best TO re-C0ncentrate them on Oahu.
In this event the militia Lattalions OF
the other islands could round up the
hostile element, and then co3Voy il
10 Oahu, the troops then Joining in
the defense of this island.
To Check Invaders.
Now in the event of war with
foreign power, a hostile force greatly
superior to the mobile army of Oahu
would probably be landed foreign
invader could we'll afford to sacrifice
Il division to get possession of this
island and the naval base, and the
United States troops would have to
mold them at bay as long as possible
waiting for aid from the navy. How
long we could stand off large force
is proElematiCal but certainly we
would need the services Of every able,
bodied American citizen capable o!
bearing arms. Sheer weight OF num-
abers can drive back even the most
efficient troops.
''All this is the strongest sort OF
argtment for strong militia organiza-