The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-07-04
DEFENSES OF HA WAU
COULD NOT HOLD OUT
Millions of Dollars Must Be Spent to Make Key to Pacific
Coast and Panama Canal Worthy of This
Title in War Time

I American and British navies. and are OF
comparatively recent design, but the
| Utah Senator feels. and his opinion is
| Endorsed by many of the others who are
| also interested themselves in the mater,
| that there should be a full notilla of
these boats to guard our mid-Pacific ter
| ritory
In this connection. 1t is pointed out that
| while Honolulu may finally be well pro-
tected from the sea as above outlined.
still it would be comparatively an easy
thing for a large force of men to land
, upon another part of the island undsr
the protection of warships and soon over
come the small body of troops which we
are now maintaining at Fort Shafter and
SchofieId Barracks, just outside of the
Hawaiian capital.
Submarines Needed.
Incident to their Hawaiian trip, the
visitors were taken to Waialua Bay.
which lies off the northwest part Of the
island of Oahu about ten miles from
Schofleld Barracks and some thirty-five
miles from Honolulu. There it was seen
that with comparative ease a hostile
force of men could be landed in large
numbers from transports under the guns
of an enemy's battleships There is not a
coast defense gun within thirty miles of
the place. and for this reason most Of the
visitors believe that the only adequate
defense, unless there was to be main
tanned about Hawaii a fleet of battle
ships, is a suita BILE flotilla of submarines
There are in Hawaii about 5000 SOL
diers, a naval force Of 1000 men and
1000 native militia, all of them with the
exception of one or two companies Of
militia on the single island of Oahu The
ma jorty of these militiamen are Hawaii
an horn. either Of full blood half
blood, with one full company of Chinese
boys and the remainder chiefly Ameri-
cans from the mainland and some Portu.
guese.
Although the Japanese are four times
as numerous upon the islands as the Chi
nese. there is not a single Japanese lad
in the Hawaiian militia. OF the total
population of the islands, which IS abort
100000 approximately 10000. or more than
two-fifths. are Japanese. Their children
are far more numerous in the public
schools than those OF any other nation
ality. They salute the flag. sing patri-
otto songs and when on exhibition tell
the hero tales of American history. but
AS soon as the American school is out In
the afternoon these pupils go to the jap
anese schools. learn the language. ira
ditions and history of the empire of Nip
ron. and adhere 10 its institutions and
customs The japanese of Hawaii never
intermarry with other races as do the
men and women of other nationalities.
In the face of these conditions, the peo-
pie of the islands are endeavoring to
make themselves believe that the JAPAN
csc are destined to develop patriotic
American citizens. 1t is but fair to state
that this opinion was not generally shar-
ed by many members OF Congress. They
have therefore reached the conclusion
that the United States is merely laying
up trouble for itself In the future by not
making provision at once for the better
protection of the Hawaiian Islands and
thereby of the entire Pacific Coast and
the Panama Canal