Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-02-21
Chamber of Commences Query
Brings Responses From Army
Men and Readers in General

sAQO ClVllld0B Qb8 Dccu dIOubcu " tuS
public communication Of the Chamber
Of Commerce asking for suggestions
on what HonolHln ran do fer the
soldiers" from the enlisted men Of
Schofleld Barracks and Cashier.
Responses are reaching the Star
Bulletin not only from men Of these
posts but from men with other army
organizations and from readers Of this
paper generally.
Below are published some OF them:
Equality, Not Charity, Wanted.
Editor Honolulu Star-Bulletin.
Sir: while am not q soldier, have
been closely connected with things
military for q number OF years, and
feel that my knowledge Of the enlisted
man OF the United States army gained
during several years Of contact with
him enables me to write with some
authority on the subject what car
Honolulu do for the SOLDIER" and the
following IS submitted for what CON-
sideration Il merits.
In endeavoring to reach some con-
clusion as TO what should be done for
the soldier, let us ask and answer
some questions concerning him. Who
IS the soldier? In order to become q
soldier, II is necessary for the appli-
cant for enlistment TO be q citizen Of
the United States, OF TO have declared
his intention 70 become such citizen;
he must be Of good health, good char
acter, able to read and write English,
and must meet various other require
ments. The soldier, therefore, is an
American. hyphenated or not as you
please.
Where does the soldier come from?
In a cosmopolitan army like that of
the United States, where enlistments
are entirely voluntary, and where regi-
fly for recruitment the soldier Is just
as likely TO hail from one state as
from another, or from any foreign
country of Caucasian peoples. Gin the
colored regiments, IL is rare to find
soldier Of foreign BIRTH The family
of the soldier may be one Of wealth,
education, influence; or II may be one
OF poverty, ignorance, lacking In
In the same regiment will
often be found young. men from per-
hkps tw0-thirds Of the states In the
Uhion and from many foreign coun-'
tries, Of varying degrees OF education
and attainment
why does be become soldier? The
answer. to this question - variable, ]
as must b6 th6 answer to q question
WHY men seek 6flH p1rflcllar profes-
sion. Ii the main hoNttef, my belief
IS that IN 41fst euiistments-and FREE
ouently thronfhott long services the
reason men became soldiers Is founded
on patriotism and z desire to serve
the country.
What e the soldier doing on Oahu.
and why is he heref On Oahu. the
soldier Is merely doing his duty IS .
unit, and ID here because this
Is the place where duty-obedience to;
his orders calls him. He Is here to-
protect the homes and families Of
Oahu and 70 help uphold the honor
and dignity Of the nation In case Of
need. He ID here to preserve to his
country this outpost Of the Pacific and
to protect Il from possible foes of the
nation. When he Il farloughed to the
reserve, serves his hree-year tour Of
duty IN Hawai-, or IL retired after
long and honorable service, In. all
be win return to the main.
land. but In q minority Of cases he
may settle In this territory and help
TO build Il up.
What IL the relation Of the soldier
to the community st larger The sol.
der IL sent here by the government
on army transports; he Il clothed. fed,
paid and otherwise cared for under
direction OF the government. and when
the time comea for his departure. the
government attends to his taking
away. He issin no way q liability TO
the community, but In every way he
Is an asset. Just how large an asset
each individual soldier Is can readily
be determined IN terms Of dollars and
cents, II pains are taken to do 30 by
those concerned.
Now, what can we do for the sol
dier?" It may be readily discernahle
from the foregoing that the soldier Is
not q person who ID, or should be con
the object Of charity or pat
ronaee on the part OF the civilian COM
munity here. The soldier Is here do
ing mans work Is q man amongst
men, and Il IL my humble opinion that
II he il 90 considered by Honolulu he
VIII De boQoueO. Isl u S6l away IFOm
the idea that the soldier Is something
separate and apart from all other hui
and gather unto ourselves the
thoughts that he Is q fellow sojourner.
with the same passions, inclinations
and aspirations IS the rest of human
fly, and should be treated according
ly: that he Is not some mpnstrosity-
neither man nor heast-bdt that he is
simply human with all the cravings
for human society and Intercourse
which enter into the makeup Of the
rest of us. II we build for him a PAL
ace Of marble, with every convenience
and comfort human ingenuity can con-
ceive, unless an mistaken In my es-
innate Of the soldier. it would be
desert place In the community IL Ia
beled for his sole or particular use,
because he is not seeking further
setting apart-1a more marked isola-
ton. Neither Is be seeking to be
placed upon any particular pedestal OF
favoritism.
If we really desire to do>something
for the soldier, let US treat him as our
nai1hHor ats form individual ar