Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-10-19
MANEUvER-GROUNDS, CAMPS, ROADS
DESIRED FOR OAHUS ARMY STRATEGY
Gen. Evans, Commanding Hawaiian Department Tells the
Chamber of Commerce of Needs fer Military Organizations
Strategic Highways to Be Big Feature of Plans

about $4,000 mile. OF course, that
/ is first-elass. r. ....
Then there are number of other
strategic roads needed so it will be
! possible to cross over the mountain
range. These roads. are all marked
down. We must have roads to move
artillery, but the infantry can get
along anywhere. We must have roads
to move the machine guns so if an
enemy deploy we can shoot down on
them. We have 200 miles of strategic
roads in sight that We should have.
There is no use in having troops If
they are corralled in bowl and can
not get over the mountain range with
their guns and ammunition. So that
is the road feature ..~..> -. =
1T is an essential feature but we
viii get them slowly like everything
else 1t is hard to get money in Ho-
nolulu so it will come Slowly, but you
gentlemen can help the army in get
ting roads and you can talk more free
ly than we can: Next winter the War
Department will bring In that $780,
900 for those two roads. We will
probably have something in for strate-
gic road over Kolekole pass. As far
as the army is concerned we are pre-
pared to say that roads are absolutely
essential in defense Of the island.
THAT is about all can say unless
you want to ask some questions. We.
will get the roads in time" -.
E. l. Spalding: 81 would like to
ask. the general if in his knowledge
these roads will be used exclusively
for military purposes or whether they
will be open to civilian travel"
"open to Anybody II.
General Evans: "They will be open
to anybody. The land will of course
go up in value where these roads are
built; people will build homes and
open up farms .= .....- =. ..-....
Mr. Spalding: 'The main incentive
for the chamber to do anything would
be the defense of the islands,"
General Evans: Yes, l think it
should be- "". -. =
William Thompson: DO you think
the road from Diamond Head to Wal
manalo would be the second one of i'm
portance?" -. .:..
May Use Military Prisoners ....
General Evans: THAT road is or
dered surveyed and estimated for and
another from Fort Kamehameha
through the naval reservation is esti-
mated for and surveyed, Those will
be the first two. You must start
somewhere. There is plan to use
military prisoners for the work We
have a large number of them and we
could have some of them build the
roads," ~. =
Judge Dole: s,Will any of these
new surveys be parallel to the county
roads,"
General Evans: "No." -
Judge Dole: "If you wanted to use
the line of the county road would you
improve it?'' -
General Evans: "If we did not and
ran cur motors over it somebody
would have to- "=" =.
Mr. thompson: Would continue
ton of the road frorI Waimanalo be
within the range of possibility /
General Evans: when you have
that you have a road around the ISL |
and. We might have a road following !
the railroad around the west side. !
That is good place and there is |
road most of the way to Kaena point. !
This is big subject and it will take |
great deal of money and time and
work before we get it, but if We go at |
it Systematically. we will do something !
in time. Everything is money
Detention Barracks Suggested
Secretary Brown: In talking with !
General Evans a few days ago l will |
repeat what he said and l think he |
will have no objection. In connection |
with the prisoners those that accrue
to divisions here go to the coast CAL
catraz island). | asked the general |
about how many prisoners he would |
have on hand out of division of men