Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-04-06
HAWAIpS GUARD
Stands Sixth in
ENTIRE country
Results of Territory-Wide In
speCtion Just Concluded
Are Gratifying

SpGCilUIl JuSl OUIiGtuueu
Are Gratifying :.
That the National Guard of Hawaii
has set new records for. the organized
militia of the entire country to shoot
at, and that the territory's military
establishment has made strides to-
ward adequate preparedness that will
outdistance even the top-notch militia
organizations Of the states, is fact
established by figures and statistics
taken in connection with the federal
inspection OF the citizen-soldiery
Every year the War Department or.
ders a thorough inspection of the or.
ganized militia maintained by the sew
eral states and territories. Person
mel, equipment, transportation, sup
plies and records are counted and
checked, and when it is all over there
is very little that the Division of Mi
litia Affairs in Washington doesn't
know about National Guard condi'
tiCns, the reports of the inspecting Of
ffcer being complete to the last de-
tail .'... ="
This federal inspection period ex.
tends from January / to March 81 OF
each year. With the National Guard
of Hawaii so widely distributed be.
tween the four main islands of the
group, and with a single officer de
tailed to make all inspections, almost
the entire three months was required
to complete the work.
The results in Hawaiis case are
most gratifying, and Adjutant Gen
eral Johnson and the various regi.
mental and company commanders
have every reason to be satisfied with
the showing made.
When the exact figures are made
public they will show that Hawaii
with guard of more than 5000 men
at the present time, turned out over
80 per cent of the entire strength for
the inspecting officer This is a rec.
ord that only one state-New York
which makes a specially of its mill
tary forces, and which appropriates
hundreds Of thousands of dollars for
the militia-equaled, on last years
figures.
Hawaii Stands Sixth.
In total strength of its organized
militia Hawaii now stands an easy
sixth out of 40 National Guards. Only
New York, Pennsylvania, Massachu.
sets, Illinois and Ohio maintain large
guards, and the last named three lead
by so small margin that it is prob
able that with the addition of coast
artillery and possibly more infantry
on Oahu, Hawaii will take third place.
Last year Hawaii stood Al out of 49
as to total strength.
Hawaii's big National Guard boom
is due to the expressed desire of the
War Department for increased militia
strength here.
Department anxious Hawaii main
tain increased militia strength and
efficiency. Territory owes it to itself
and national government to do this.
Suggest you present matter to legis.
lature."
That was the eabled message of
former Secretary of War Garrison to
Governor Pinkham February IL, 1915.
The story of Brig.-ge Samuel /.
Johnson's whirlwind recruiting cam
paign, started soon after he took Of
flee as the adjutant general, is gen.
orally familiar. The results Of this
campaign are shown by the federal
inspection Just closed.
I'VE have the men now, and the
enthusiasm, said Gen. Johnson in
discussing guard matters with Star
Bulletin reporter. ut means plenty
of hard work from now on to get the
efficiency, but that is what we are
looking for. Full equipment will be
here within a short time, as the War
Department intends to recognize and
equip all organizations which the ter
ritory can recruit and maintain. With
plenty of rifle ranges, good instructors
from the regular army and we'll rain
ed officers the guard should make
great strides toward efficiency in the
present year. 1t is to a large extent
a recruit organization now Before
the year is out / hope to see we'll
balanced guard of trained men,"
The inspections for the federal gov
eminent were made this year by Col.
Charles S. Lincoln, inspettor-instruct-
or. Col. Lincoln occupies dual posi-
ton in the National Gu1rd of Hawaii,
by virtue of special permission from
the secretary of war. He was detail.
ed as nspector-instruttor when a cap.
tain in the I'd U. S. infantry, and was
then commissioned colonel in the Ma
tional Guard by the governor. and
given command Of the LIST Infantry,
n. G. H.. =. .=...- .@s. ..
PUNAHOU SUMMER i. H.