Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1912-09-24
'7|SER
MAKES Lame
EXCUSES

III a length! statement This mo:n-
ing. the Advertiser attempts to cover
up the fact tnar il was "SCoOped" Oh
an important military story. by stat
ing thar something like the story was
published two months ago. The Star
Bulletins stOry yesterday was based
On a printed report received at army
headquarters last FRIDAY. and the
morning paper had all the time be
tween Friday and Yesterday TO Sc
cure the report Its excuse was told
in a long story this morning
The report OF the General staff Of
the army on the organization of the
land forces Of the United States, a
synopsis of which was given in the
Star-Rulletin yesterday. is considered
by military authorities here to be the
most interesting military document
that has come out Of Washington in
many years.
Plans for the r. garrison of Oahu.
which are made public in their en-
tirety for the first time in this report,
are of special interest, and give army
men here a sound basis for figuring,
which the garbled and misleading ac-
counts of the proposed defense plans
published prior to the issuing of the
official report, could not provide.
AS stated in the Star-Bulletin story
yesterday, there have been any num-
Der of guesses and half truths regard
ing army expansion here, extending
over a period of year or more, but,
according to Lieutenant Colonel
Campbell, adjutant general, the pres
ent printed report is the first; au
thentic information that has been
made public in Hawaii.
The service papers about two
months ago carried an account of the
proposed strength of the Oahu garri-
son, and this in substance was re-
printed in the local morning paper,
but while the organization strength
was about the same as given in the
authentic report, the number of rifles
and sabers was inaccurate, as the es-
Inmates were based on peace strength
organization, whereas the general
staff is making it's estimates for a
permanent mobile army here on war
strength companies and troops.
The very meat of the genuine re-
port is that the necessity for a strong
permanent force on Oahu is due to
the islands isolation, and that it
would be practically impossible to get
reinforcements here in case of an in
Vas1On This, then, is the reason that
the organizations are to be brought
up to war strength, and that they
will total $4,000 men instead of 10000.
The report carries short preface,
signed bv the Secretary of War, sub
hitting it for discussion to the army,
National Guard and those interested
in a sound military policy for the
United States. This is dated August
10, and any information which came
out prior to this date is necessarily
unauthorized and inaccurate. The
Department of Hawaii received an
outline of the report the latter part
of July. which was confidential, and
which was not given out, but even
these figures are modified and correct
ed in the finished article, acortling to
tie adjutant general
One of the most interesting parts of
the report deals with the re-organiza-
ton of the field artillery. Organiza-
lions of this arm are made very f1exi-
bic, the battery being about the only
standard unit, as regiments with GER
tain commands may consist of two or
three battalions, and battalions of
two, three or four batteries. Also. in.
the general organization an attempt is
made to divide the army with view
to the troops that would be actually
needed in certain localities in case 81
war. A mountain battery that might
lie needed in the Philippines would be
manifestly out of place at some East
ern post, and the entire idea seems to
be to re-organize the forces so as to
havee the proper proportion of troops,
and the kind or troops most needed,
in certain localities.