Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-10-04
A POLICE PROBLEM, NOT A NATIONAL
GUARD NEED

Nothing hut a real emergency Of great proper
fions warrants calling out the National Guard Il
qneIl disorder in any community.
That emergency has not arisen on the waterfront
and there is no necessity. matters stand at this
writing for the governor order out the territorial
troops -... ..... .
This is said in full realization Of the fact that in
adequate police protection and the rising desperi
ton Of the waterfront strikers may at any moment
resnlt in an outbreak far than has yet deyel
oped II is said in realization Of the fact that yes
ferday morning and this morning property was in
secure and life was menaced because first lack oil
numbers and then of effective organization made the
police painfully powerless to protect laborers on
their way tothe wharves -....
The problem on The waterfront is essentially q
police problem. 1t is vet far from hopeless police
problem The sudden turn Of the strikers TO organ
ize violence in stopping railroad cars loaded with
laborers caught the police unprepared Yesterday
Today the ruse of the strikers in concealing them
selves in the railroad Yards again caught the pc
lice unprepared. This lack Of preparation the pc
lice officers in charge fullS admit But they are
getting down to their work and the Star Bulletin
does not believe that the time has come for the grave
resort to the militia.
But the time has certainly come for the com
munify to demand of Sheriff Rose that the police
force in his charge shall be better handled Every
Incident ON the waterfront since the strike began
has demonstrated that efficiency in the department
i al disgracefuy low ehb and this is not said il
criticism Of individual officers or patrolmen but o.
the entire organization. When lawless mobs of mer
and boys spring up The police are at loss to han
de them They have not had the training for Their
Jobs which police should have. Lacking training
they show hesitation which nobsters at once put
down as timidity. They have clear conception
Of their duties and in many eases do not know how
FAR police officer 90 in physically handling thu
lawbreakers.
Individual courage and the Willingness to worl
long hours and face danger which several member
al the police force have shown repeatedly during th,
last few days is OF little avail unless coupled will
tfheient organization. 1t is in this problem Of pre-
PAIRING his men for emergency calls upon them il
preparing for really serious police situation tina
The sheriff has failed before and is failing now Tn
EarBnlletin does not lay it to politics, for mob in
1idents have happened here involving no politics
when the lack of organization of the police fore
was painfully demonstrated
Nevertheless the problem is not yet beyond thu
police 1t will be the sherifs fault if it gets be
fond them. Fearless arrest not only of one or tw'
81 the lawless gangsters but of few dozen of them
and prosecution that will put the enemies of peac
and order in jail will show the mobs that Honolulu
police mean business If necessary, the sheriff cal
keep large part of his men on the waterfront an'
II these are not enough he can get some extra mel
for special duty. Determined patrolling of tn
Waterfront will check the gangsters, for most 0
them will not face policeman who can handle him
self and has orders to 'get his man." The gangste
Il usually coward when facing constituted author
ily. And il there are any of the sheriff's men VIII
are afraid to look mob in the eye he might as wei
ret them off the waterfront
Calling out the National Guard involves so man
serious problems, il is such ast4resort act that
should not be done unless it is evident that the polio
are utterly powerless Up TO now neither the siz
OF the mob nor its temper has been beyond what tn
police can control if public sentiment demands a.
end 10 dillydallying. and certainly public sentimen
now demands il.