Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-09-14
CONGRESSIONAL FOLLY HOLDSBACK
MILITARY PREPAREDNESS, HE SAYS

! told the American people the gospel
truth about the army and navy: he
! has tried to arouse you to A i:COwleGse
of its dangers. and as reward, he
was told that he was only seeking self
advertisement We have too Inrny
people who are trying to play the role
CT Catiline: what We need is few
Ciceros and Andrew Jackson. Never
have | known or read Of an admins
tratiOn which expires with so much
agony, and so little CompOsure and
resignation, as that which now has
the control of military affairs in our
country it exhibits a state OF mind
feverish, fretful and fidgety, bounding
recklessly from desperate eXpedlent
to another without any sober or set
tied purposes whatever. 4 new phi
losophy sprung up few years ago
called 'phrenology. There is, | be-
lieve, something in it, but not quite
so much as its ardent followers pro-
claim. According to its doctrines, the
leading passion, propensity and char
acteristics of every man are develop
ed in his physical conformation, chief.
" in the structure Of his head. Gall
and Sporzheim, its founders, or most
eminent propagators, being dead, l re-
greet that neither of them can exam
inc the heads of some Of our illustrious
senators and congressman. But II
these heads could be surveyed by DR..
Caldwell, late of Pennsylvania Univer'
sity, | am persuaded that he would
find the organ of national destruction
prominently developed.
Money Is SqUandered.
The money appropriated for the
maintenance of our army is almost
twice the amount appropriated for
maintenance of both the German and
Swiss armies, and, still either Ger
many or Switzerland have a much
larger and better equipped army than
we have. This being the case we are
confronted with the perplexing ques'
ton, why, and how can this be?' A
iperson unfamiliar with army routine
and procedure might imagine, or even
suggest, that there might be nlegiti-
mate uses made of money appropriate
ed for certain specific purposes in the
army. For instance, l am told that
some time ago money was appropriate
ed for the purpose of installing clothes
closets in certain quarters at Fort
Ruger; but instead of using the mo-
ney for the purpose pretended 1t was
used to purchase dynamite to blow
stones out of the parade ground.
am told that when a shortage in the
army appropriation occurs that the sol
der must part with one Of their collar
ornaments and portion of their cloth
ing allowance to make good said ap-
preparation. ] am told that when a
civilian employee Of the army travels
from one station to another, he IS
allowed aefifst-ciass ticket, including
a berth on. a Pullman car, and 81 per
! day including all stopoVers, for his ne
| cessary expenses. And when an Off.
Ger travels from one station to anoth-
err, he is allowed $500 for every 100
miles of travel; but, when the soldier
is to travel he is allowed 2 cents per
mile for all necessary expenses; no
tice the contrast Those who are un-
familiar with human anatomy would
| be made to believe that there is a
vast difference in the capacity OF stom-
achs, as well as the acuteness OF appe-
tites.
We will never have an efficient army
under the present system OF military
administration; and, it will take moth
ing short of long war, which in all
probability is not very far hence, 10
force the American people to adopt
different and more progressive mill
tary policy in our country.
General Woods Plan.
General Wood would have US believe
that by doubling the number of Off
GERS now in the army, the perpleXlng
problem of national defense would be
forever solved. Mr. Reader, nothing Is
more absurd A 15-year-old school boy
can see what General Wood wants.
An expert cabinet maker or machln1st,
cannot produce good results without
first having the very best of tools
with which to work; so it is with the
army officer, no matter how efficient
he may be, if. he has not the neces-
sary tools to work with he is just
about as helpless as an old maid would
be were she given a command OF an
army corps in the field. We do not
need more officers for our army, we
have plenty OF them 10 spare DIS II 10
what we want to do is give them
plenty of good tools with which to
work.. that the result of their efforts
may be gratifying
The so-cal1ed present system of Gre
ating a reserve force for our army
gotten up by General Wood, is a bore
to the nation, and amounts to many
times less than a mere farce. 1t is
failure, pure and simple, and does not
display any part of wisdom in the
Judgment Of the young men of our
country or the nations defense.
We have listened to the paclhSts
and advocates of national disarma-
ment with great delight, now We are
On the verge of repenting in sorrow.
Very truly yours.
F. |. GRAHAM.
AMBASSADOR SAVES