The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1916-06-09
NaturaIized German, Up For Com
mission In Militia, Would Not
Fight Against FatherIand
GENERAL JOHNSON ORDERS
HIS IMMEDIATE DISCHARGE
There Is No Place In National
Guard For Such Men, Says
Adiutant-GeneraI

Company D, First Infantry, n. G. II.
viii lose Martin Grune, an efficient
lance corporal. He was discharged from
the service without ceremony last
night, because, during the recent
crisis between the United States and
Germany, he Informed Capt Gustav f
Schaefer, his commanding officer, that
should the United States and Germany
be forced into war, he would not take
! up arms against Germany.
Grune, who has had an excellent
about to take a competitive examina.
ton for the vacancy in his company for
second lieutenant, and his statement
that no matter what might come he
would not align himself with the Unit
ed States rs against the Kaiser placed
his commanding officer in an embarrass
ing position.
= Captain Schaefer took several days
20 think the matter over and finally,
q day or so after the examination
day, laid the whole affair before Col
onel Lincoln, the commander of the
regiment and the regular army inspec
tor-instruetor of the guard.
Examination Papers Barred
Colonel Lincoln realized that such
sentiment as expressed by Grune would
bar anyone from loyalty taking the Of
heers oath of office in the national
guard. He directed that the papers
prepared by Grune be dropped from the
eontest, until such time as the whole
matter could be submitted for final de
eisi0n 70 Brig. Gen. Samuel !. johnson
adjutant general of the Territory.
This was done yesterday, and General
johnson acted promptly. As soon as
Grune showed up for drill last night
with Company d, he was called into the
adjutantrgeneral's office, where Cap.
tain Schaefer, Colonel Lincoln and Gen.
efal johnson had been in conference
over the matter, and asked for a plain
statement of his feelings.
81 have learned" said General John.
son, f'that just before taking your ex
animation for a commission in the
guard, you Informed your commanding
officer that you could under no circum
stances fight against Germany. This
was at time when there seemed
Possibility that you might be called up
op TO do 80. What about iti Do you
feel that way nowf'
orune Admits Disloyalty
80 Yes, sir, I" said Grune, his face look.
ing pale, and his mouth twitching u lit
tie. 81 do feel just that way. / told
Captain Schaefer that | felt it would
be Impossible for me to fight against
Germany in case the United States went
to war with her. Any other country
hut not Germany
"Ah!" CIRCULATED the adiutant gen
efal." But don't you know that you
dave taken an oath-twO solemn Oaths,
indeed, for you have taken out your
first papers as an American citizen
70 defend the United States from all
enemies whOmsOever. You swore to
that when you enlisted in the guard
You swoTe to it when you rrlnquished
your status as a German subject and
became an American citizen. Further.
more, you swOre when you took out
your first papers to defend the United |
States against all enemies, whOmso.
ever, and especially against Wilhelm ii |
Emperor of Germany Don't you know |
thatf''
Yes, sir, " murmured Grune
~ Why did you take ont your papers |
then, asked General Johnson "Why
did you enlist in the guard if you felt |
that wayf"
willing To Accept America
AT the time took out my papers |
/ did not believe that the United
States and my country would ever come |
to war. was willing to accept the |
United States as my country"
Then for the first time Colonel Lin. |
coin spoke.
DO you consider that you conferred |
q favor on the United States by becOm.
ing citizen of this country, or that |
the eountry conferred a favor on you |
BY ALLOWING you to assume that citizen
sss''I was the favored party" answer
ed GTune.
d''I am sorry" interrupted General
johnson. "YOu have been d good sol. |
der, Grune, but a man who feels as you |
do has no business TO change his citi-
zenship, and he certainly has no bust.
ness In the national guard Of any coun-
try save his own. Your commandirA
officer has recommended that yGu De |
honorably discharged from the guard
Colonel lincoln, will, l am sure, ap-
prove that recommendation. That is
all.,i
In speaking of the affair afterward
General johnson said:
ia point wished to emphasize is
that no man can serve two masters
" be enters the militia us an American
citizen IL Is 70 the United States that
10 owes his first duty, no matter where
hs may have been born. We are not
preparing for war with amy country,
hnt We are trying to get ready to meet
any emergeney. | should hay" acted
in the same manner had Corporal Grunr
heen an EBglishman n Frrnchmnn or
Russian, We want none but Americans