Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-02-15
FILIPINO TELLS
WHY COUNTRYMEN
join THE GUARD
Answers Assertion That These
Residents Cannot Enlist
in Militia

That the Filipinos Of the territory
are entering the National Guard to
serve Hawaii and express their appre-
citation Of and belief in American gov
eminent Is the declaration of a Fill
pino in the accompanying letter to the
Star-Bulletin. His letter was brought
forth by the criticism of Governor
Pinkllam yesterday by Attorney A. A.
Wilder and Attorney Wilders conten-
ton that the FiIipinos have no right
to enlist in the guard not being citi-
gems or eligible to citizenship.
The letter follows:
Honolulu, February 4, 1916.
Editor Honolulu Star Bulletin.
Sir: After reading your paper to-
day my conscience was moved by an
article in 1t headed "Filipinos Have No
Right In the Guard, Says Wilder"
VIII you kindly insert under your
Letters From the People" the fol-
lowing few lines:
Being Filipino, full-blooded, and a
member of the guard, wish to explain
to the Hawaiian public just why the
Filipinos wish to join the National
Guard, and | hope my explanation
will clarity the minds of the many
Americans, who seem to dislike the
brown brothers" in their every en-
deavor to better themselves in this
territory
First of all wish to express my ap-
precautions to the fact that many OF
the Filipino members of the guard are
being helped by the Hawaiian public;
nevertheless the writer is not eating
at the mess, namely (a) feeding
few of our brothers who are unemploy.
ed and (b) looking for work in which
they could be employed. The help is
not only for the Filipino unemployed
members, but for all the others unem-
ployed outside of the Filipino compa-
NY. know very well that Christian
hearts would rather see US helped
out this way than see many of US bum
ming around unemployed and commit
| ting crimes.
Honorable Public, you must consid-
er also that we are doing our part to
serve you In wearing the olive-drab
military uniform of Uncle Sans sol
diers. We don't consider 1t joke
but serious matter
Why We Love to Serve Uncle Sam.
To tell you frankly our ancestors
died for their love Of equal liberty
and freedom. The bulk of our people
In Hawaii are not getting their share
Of proper treatment, It seems as
though my people are entirely misun-
derstood.
Sam q great deal for uplifting the
whole Filipino race In many ways and
such uplifts we viii never forget. We
keep them in our hearts and our feel
ings of appreciation, love. sincerity
and sympathy are as numerous as
there are live, red corpuscles running
In circulation through our brown bod
les.
l beg to ask you. Honorable Ameri-
can Public, to understand that never
theless you dislike us and condemn
us In every way For what good a
people are we? We are only brown
scraps! Dwarfed beings and good
for.nothing undesirables! but we are
always ready and will always be
ready to serve and die for Uncle Sam
at the point of the sword. My state
ments are not mere recitals, but they
will be proven to be true as days go
by, when Uncle Sam will ever have
q dispute with any power. and there
ID no doubt you know that first power
to come
am not at all q politician nor do
claim to possess knowledge Of
world affairs, but being member
of the Filipino race the young fedora
ton Of which were brought up by
American ideals, | must have courage
In impressing upon the minds of the
American public that the United
States government is very far behind
in military preparedness. Permit me
to prophesy that war horizon Is
near the borders or Uncle Sans re-
gions.
We are pouring into the National
Guard for the above reasons, II being
the only service we can so far render
We love you and like you, Uncle Sam.
We know Hawaii is under the Stars
and Stripes and it being SO though
"Filipinos have no right in the Guard. ;
we deemed 1t our duty to muster in
for whatever service we can render
and whenever our service need be rem
dered. whether at the present or in
the future,
wish you to note also that there
are hundreds OF our brothers outside
of the city of Honolulu who have vol
UNFAIRLY mustered in for service, and
are not being fed.
With the above facts | hope the
public will understand US better in the
future. The above are point-of-views
of young Filipino.
thank you very mucn for the favor.
beg to remain. faithfully yours,
LIE FILIPINO.