The Hawaiian gazette., 1913-03-11

quarters first, and according to General
Wood, who interposed, it would cost |
$l36,000 year to keep the troops in
tents here.
eve have been moving the troops
out there added the Secretary, |
without waiting for construction, and
putting them into camp, because it was
deemed so important to have them on
the ground.'
al want to show you what the Navy
has done in expenditures there. You
will remember that the question of
terrifying the Hawaiian Islands was
primarily a naval question, and we were
directed to fortify because the Navy
had made it n naval station and had
made it the great naval base of the
Pacific. The Navy estimates that the
total cost of their naval base bill be
$l2 ,63l 500. There has already been
appropriated $10,446,25O and there has
already been expended or obligated up
to date, 5S57505."
The Secretary said the Notifications
and guns authorized were substantially
complete, and the War Department has
gone ahead and built the Notifications
and had built the guns and has left to
the last the question of taking care of
the quarters for the men. For ammu-
milton for Hawaii $9l5,2l0 had been ex.
pended, of which $477 900 has been is
sued.
AS to the increased Notifications at
Diamond Head and Pearl Harbor he
said that they were trying to figure
down as closely as possible, but If the
recommendations are carried out, it will
involve heavy increased expense.
How much, approximately" in
quired the chairman
81 would rather not make any esti-
mate at present on that, replied the
Secretary 81 have given you these
last figures having a total of over
$20,000,000 in order that you might see
the amount invested there in naval
stores and in coast artillery defense,
which it is the object of the mobile
force to defend. The argument, L
/ think, of Colonel Morrison, whom you
| heard the other day, showed the neces.
sity for defense of those stores and
4 defenses by mobile force to protect
them from an enemy that could land ut
another part of the island
The Secretary had to explain to the
committee an apparent divergence from
the original policy as to the garrison
for Oahu, the first plans being to have
but two squadrons of cavalry here, one
regiment of infantry, one of field artil-
lery, some engineers and signal corps
men, all as a mobile force, with the in
tehtion of reinforcing this garrison
from San Francisco at an outbreak of
war, The chairman referring to the
fact that certain matters were not made
of record because of having been given
at a secret hearing, said:
"The general staff appeared and
asked to be given a confidential hear
ing, and the general staff then stated
what the situation was in the Hawaiian
Islands and the responsibility that was
felt, and then they indicated the force
they wanted to put there
I Mr.. Stimson said that military au-
thorities differed as to the size of the
garrison, but that the adequate de-
Tense of the Islands was necessary.
"The Macomb Board,'' said the
chairman, has indicated the desira.
bility of certain additional mortars on
Ahua Point. The original defenses, my
recollection is, were planned by the
Taft Board, and afterwards Colonel
Story was sent to the Hawaiian Isl
ands, and as a result of his investiga.
ton and report mod fcations were
made. A new board is now appointed
and they visit the Islands, and they
indicate that certain other guns should
be added. -
4 The Secretary said the Maeomb
Board was sent here primarily to re-
I port on the mobile defense The chair
man wanted TO know if anything def
n'te is settled on the question of de.
Tense.
/ While General Weaver was unable to
state positively whether the Macomb
! Board recommendations for fortifca-
tion increases at Diamond Head was
! for land defense, the Secretary stated
that he did not think IL quite fair to
/ the general staff to argue on these sug.
( gestions of tine Macomb Board, because
B they had not been approved by the
general stan. 'They have been sug-
/ gested by the Macomb Board as i'm.
pioyements on the original plan Of dc
fence said the Secretary
/ General Weaver said that his undor.
standing was that the two new mortar
/ batteries introduced by the Maeomh
Board proper are intended for coast de.
/ Tense primarily, but also like all NOR
I TAR batteries are available for hnd de-
fense use, with shmpnei, aud can BIO
/ turned aud used inland, also,
The Secretary said HThe m0nnrs AZ
F. diamond Head we've placed by The
/ original board outside tho crater That
/ lnl them ~ q posltion whore they Wefe
I srfeetly useful for defense against
sil# hui Whffp iheY could be iHtfu hy
land aiiaek much more eHHly than
If iheF Nefu lH Tho efaipf. Hui ihr
pranoHlilQp p0w b 90 meet iha urs GOA
tlllen III iund afiafk ablah iha unH
Amnmh Beard considered. and fhf
lnnalian ~ adiIuH anaHmeni fmaHHTl
eiNf ~ slowly lH lhHi sH5I noi IH
FaW ~ mHhf cas- affHlHf drfrnse
agalha fa nitafi faileHgh fhu