Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-02-18
Charges Of Politics Under Col.
Jones' Administration, Made
eyLieut Mhitener, Declared
False and Misleading
DELEGATE KUHi0 ASKED
TO PLACE AFFIDAvlIS
BEFORE WAR DEPARTMENT
Veteran Officers Say No Such
State of Affairs Existed as
Former Inspector Instructor
Claims; Deny Hawaiian Of
ficers Removed for lnefti-
cheney

the national Guard OF Hawaii prior to
the regime OF Adj.-gen. Johnson. ana
severe reflections upon Gen. Johnson's .
nredecessor. Col. ]. w. Jones, con-
tanned in q report to Washington oy
Lieut.. w. G. Whit6ner. U. 3. A., nave
stirred to emphatic protest not only
Col. Jones but large number OF guard
officers who have seen the report
This. report, made under date OF
November IL, 1915, Is denounced a.
deliberately false, malicious and de-
famatory" by guard officers, who,
having read the report, are acquainted
With its contents and who for years
have been members Of the Hawaiian
militia.
Col Jones has taken the matter up
with Delegate Kuhio at Washington
and asked that documentary evidence
TO refute Lieut. Whitener's charges be
submitted TO the war department.
In this documentary evidence which
Is being forwarded, Lieut.. Whitener's
report Is asserted 70 be not only thor
oughly inaccurate as to fact but un-
fsir and malignant as to conclusion.
Lieut.. Whitener came to Honolulu
about May /, 1914, as inspector-gen-
eral of the National Guard, remaining
In this position until = short time ago.
when he wa ordered to fejoin the reg
ular infantry. IN May, 1915. he made
report 70 the chief Of the division
OF military affairs. war department.
which report he reiterated In the re-
port Of last November and largely ex-
banded IN the statement which is sub
mitted az the results Of mis- observa-
tions "for the consideration OF the war
department
charoe Of Politics Made.
In opening this latter report, he
says: I
Conditions after my arrival, and
until recently, may be summarized as
follows: The organization was large
" q political onej this wat especially
true Of the 2nd B4ttalion s0f the regi-
ment composed Of Hawaiians, with
the exception OF one Chinese company.
This one company (Chinese) attended
drills more often than the rest and
was more efficient and was hardly q
part OF the political machine.
with the acknowledgement at the
head, the Hawaiian portion Of the Ma
tional Guard constituted Q powerful
political machine. most efficient at the
polls, but with Indifferent and ineffi-
cient officers at the head. and with
men seldom seen &C the drill hall. It
was almost impossible to secure the
removal OF these inefficient officers;
each was related to some senator or
representative, or had some local in
fiuence that prevented his removal.
However, by resigEations and the ap.
pointment Of some few better men. the
personnel improved slightly during
the first year. Some Of the dead tim
ber' was gotten rid Of. but with such
. handicap as political head and
body, indifference and inattention to
duty spread ss q dry rot through the
entire organization"
Lieut.. Whitener then goes on to
quote from the report of May II, 1915.
1r this he again emphasizes 'the
political character Of the present or
ganization." and while crediting the
Hawaiians with making good soldiers,
says that 1T Is believed that the Ha-
" 0AA0m QAAANSA ~ S0AAA-AoAo Va = 10
waiian company is failure, with two
or three exceptions" and added that
the elimination Of politics from the
guard would result "in as increased
efficiency as can be hoped for"
November Report Refers TO Past.
This ends his quotation from the
report OF May IL, 1916. and he con-
tinues with much longer discussion |
of the situation as viewed by him last
November.
THE past inefficiency of the Ma
tsonal Guard OF Hawaii as an organi-
zation has not been due to the char
acter Of the officers and men, he |
says. ''or TO notable and exceptional
local conditions. The fault has been
at the head. To inefficiency and poll !
tics at the head may be traced all the |
other evils that have made efficiency
To this fountain source
may be traced directly the appoint
A CY~.~E t.. -