The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1917-12-18
Policemen Discover
It's Hard job
To Beat The Dutch
Soldiers Rush Guard and Leave
Ship and Complications Arise
and Follow Thick and Fast At
Police Headquarters

fOllce headquarters ..,s|
Seventy Dutch soldiers who we're in
Honolulu yesterday on their way to
the Nederland East Indies where they
will serve the Holland government for
q lengthy period Of time. rushed the
guard which was stationed at the gang.
plank of the vessel on which they are
travelling and made their way to all
sections Of the city, disregpfding the
orders Of the superior officer who had
refused them permission 10 90 ashore.
The men mnde their dash from the
ship at two o'clock while their officers
we're at dinner aboard ship. When
the non-commissioned officers who had
been placed on guard earlier in the
day reported the turn Of affairs to the
higher officers there was a hurried con
sultation among them, following which
they communicated with Fort Shafter
by telephone. They were advised 20
notify Sheriff Charles II. Rose of the
trouble, which they did, and he in turn
notified all patrolmen on their boats 70
pick up all Dutch soldiers and send
them TO the station from where they
would be returned to the ship. d,
Mix-ups Follow Fast
The officers in charge of the soldiers
had, however, forgotten TO notify the
sheriff that non commissioned officers
had been granted shore liberty, and
feeling that they were entitled 70 go
where they wished, naturally remain.
ed in the business section. while the
others strolled out into the less dense.
ly populated suburbs. #st.. t'
At two-thirty O'cloek the telephone
at the police station began to ring
and there was no let-up until late in
the afternoon. Every policeman in the
downtown section had d couple of
Dutch soldiers on his hands. But the
wagon was out, for there had been
similar calls previously, and il was
necessary for the patrolmen either to
walk their prisoners TO the station or
else remain with them until such time
as the hurry-up wagon could convent.
emily relieve them of their charges.
Non-coms Make Explanation ,-|
At three clock they commenced to
arrive at the station in two and tbrees,
all of whom explained to the captain
of the watch that they were non-eom-
missioned officers and as such were en-.
titled to shore liberty. Most of them
spoke English well and they were told
II such was the case the better thing
for them to do, would be to return to
the ship aud Obtain n properly signed
pass from their superiors. 4-
} Easier said than, done, hpwever, for
they had no more than stepped out OF
the station than they were again pick
ed up by other patrolmeu and return
cd to the station where they had been
only few minutes before. In many
nstaners their faces were not recog.
aizcd by the receiving sergeant and
they were given the same instructions
they had received only short time
before. a. ,...r ~
II was not until three nou .eommis-
stoned officers had appeared before the
sergeant of the watch on as many oc.
easions that the light began to dawn
and il was realized that II was impos-
sible for them to ever reach the ship,
for they were sure to be taken into
custody by some one who was not
aware of their rank or their visit to the
Station. So IL was decided to send
them all to the waterfront In the pa.
troll wagon where those who were en-
TITLED to leave could be given properly
signed passes while those who were not
could be placed aboard.
Enlisted Men Absent
But the men wanted were still at
large and the only ones who had been
returned to the ship we're those who
were entitled to shore liberty. The
privates were reported late last night
as being in all of the residential sec.
tions of the city, while hepe and there
a stray one would be picked up and
delivered to the vessel 49,. ''
1t was estimated by the police that
about half of them had been returned
to the ship at ten clock last nj ght
although it was believed that the re.
mainder would return voluntarily be.
fore morning. ~ Fr
When asked why the men had dis
regarded orders and left the shin one
private said they had not been ashore
for eighty days--not since they had
left Holland--and when they learned
they we're to remain here, for a con.
siderable length of time, the tempta-
ton was too STRONG and most of them
Just had to put their feet on terra
tirma, II only for a minute, that they
might not forget entirely what it was
like. 49,. m. II.
The men were a well behaved lot
and other than walk through the streets
Of the city for what they termed eek
ercise,' they created not the least dis.
turbanee. The police say that not one
ugly word was spoken by those who
were rounded up as the result of the
general order, and all seemed to treat
the affair as more Or less of a huge
joke.
ASSOCIATION M0lIl