Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-07-24

! For the last 30 years all legislation
! fayering the army has been for its
/ Officers. And still they continue to
cry out, even from the house-tops:
give us more officers so We will not
have to work SO hard, give us more
pay, give us more rank, and more al.
+ lowances Therefore, we are main.
4 tanning an officers army and not a
/ fighting mans army.
What we need is legislation that
! will affect the army as a fighting ma
chine and put It on progressive bas-
! is. To make our army effective it
must first of all have the support Of
the American people, which 1t does
not have at the present time. In the
eyes of the public it is worse than a
crime to join the army; one is ever
after branded as a bum, thief, as
being dishonest, an idler, and last but
not least, drunkard. Today Germany
has the best army in all the civilized
world Why? Because Of the atti-
tude of the German people toward
their army; because they foresee the
necessity Of an army and strive to
meet that necessity In Germany 1t
is no objectionable sin or crime to be
soldier, and one is not. as result
thereof, made an exile from human
decency for the remainder of his nat
urai life.
Suppose there are men in the Unit
ed States army who are deserving Of
some. or perhaps all, of the pet repu-
tatiOns that are handed out by the
public to each individual In the army?
Where did these notorious characters
come from? Did they not hail from
your ranks, Mr.. Civilian? And since
these characters left your ranks did
you have to close all the courts of JUS
tice on account of elimination Of
crime? Have you had to close all
your jails throughout the country on
account Of a dearth OF crime? Have
YOU discharged all your officers of the
law? II not, / fail to see why, unless
they are retained for the purpose Of
rounding up the soldiers when they
come to town.
According to the press and the rec
aords or the courts throughout our vast
domain the worst characters have not
yet found their way into our army Of
socalied moral degenerates. Still, one
OF these self-same characters can cons
NIT a murder, rob a bank OF all its
funds. rnisappropriate an unlimited
amount OF public money belonging to
the people and even sduander money
belonging to a brewery, and do every
thing else that is corrupt, and the peo-
pie will look on his act as one OF
credit, and after all. one rather brainy.
But when man joins the American
army to protect his country, to stand
up as a human target between the
American people and the enemy, he is,
in the eyes of the public. pau" IN so
far as socfability, character, goodfel-
Iowship. and everything else that go
to make up decent human being,
is concerned
We. the American people, are not
patriotic. we have out lived our use
fulness as American citizens. We do
not appreciate the known fact that
our forefathers gave their life-blood
that this nation might be one and in
separable. We do not appreciate the
fact that the price of our fortunes.
cur liberty, our well being. and our all
was drenched in blood; therefore,
hasten to mako the obeisance that we
are indebted to America; this stern and
unique figure carved from the ocean
and wilderness majesty kind
ling and growing amid the storms af
winter and wars until at last the
gloom was broken. its beauty disclcs-
ed in the sunshine, and the heroic
workers rested at its base while star
tied kings and emperors gazed and
marveIed that from the rude touch of
this handful. cast on bleak and I'M
known shcre. should have come the