The Hawaiian gazette., 1917-05-25
Vague Statement From Governor
Gives the Rumor More Or Less
Confirmation and General Con-
fusion Is Added To
RESULT LIKELY TO BE
HARMFUL TO MILITIA
General Feeling Exists That Local
Soldiery Have Been FIimflamed
BY the Backing and Filling Of
Past Two Years

. After the National Guard of Hawaii
as been generally kicked around for the
asst year or more, It is now more or less
Sfieially announced in the name Of the
war department. that IL is not to be
mobilized as a part Of the national
forces. Direct information is not to
be obtained, secrecy in this matter
which directly affects some thousands
of men appearing to be necessary.
Governor Pinkham, in connection
with the fact that information has
come from Washington that the war de,
partment is not considering the
mobilization Of the Hawaiian regi-
ments, wrote out the following cryptic
statement: C5i
The latest information from
Washington indicates that the war
department is deferring inobilisa-
tion Of the National Guard, Of Ha-
wall pending further determia-
tons. -.
At appears quite likely, from the
statement issued, that the Governor
knows no more of the reasons for tho
decision of the war department to
add to the already existing confusion
in the guard than anyone else does.
Hawaii Not Excepted
4 The mobilization order signed by the
President a few days ago stated that
the mobilization of the various national
guards would commence on July 10, and
The despatch received by The AdVef-
tiser contained no reference to any OK
eeption in the mobilization order in the
case Of Hawaii. IN
This Territory, as well as Alaska and
Porto Rico, were not included in the
proclamation setting a date for the com;
mencement of registrations for the Sc
lectiye draft, which begins elsewhere
throughout the Union ON June 8, but
Hawai- is not formally exempted in the
orders dealing with the national guard.
No Certainty Whatever -.
Whether the "deferring Of mobiliza.
ton pending further deter
Mutations" as the Governor puts il,
means that the Hawaiian guard is not
to be mustered into the federal service
at all or not, remains TO be seen. 1t
may be that the delay is to allow time
for the plantation harvest season to be
passed, which will be in September or
October, but whatever it is il will sue.
coed principally in sapping whatever lit
tie of enthusiasm remains in the guard
after the buffetings of the past two
years. ,FHE ttN. #'
If it had been the intention Of the
war department not to put the guard
here or any part of il into training, the
recent orders mastering out the married
men was certainly illadvised. That or.
der cut the guard down by couple Of
thousand men aud shot many of the
companies to pieces, hitting particularly
upon the veterans in the ranks and
stripping the regiments OF many of their
non CONS, ,. g. ST. %. ~ ..'3
How About Consumption ..'E VI. ;,
Interest is being shown In another
phase of the situation brought forward
through the Developments OF yesterday,
hazy and vague as the information Is,
The question now is: IT the guard is
not TO be modified, win CONSUMPTION
be put into effect and the eligible
youths of Hawaii be drafted into the
regular regiments here OF organized
into eonscript regimentsf 1t had been
taken for granted that the contribution
Hawaii was prepared to make TO the
eause of national defense OF from four
to eight thousand militiamen would
furnish the Island 3 quota and con
=. scription would be avoided, q.
III the guard is not TO be called, will
, there be u draft, AID If so, will mem
bers of the militia be liable to selec.
ton or viii Hawaii furnish only the
rawest of recruitsi
In fairness tbTthe men Of the guard
who have given of their time and their
enthusiasm, an early decision regard.
ing them ought to be reached and they
should be told plainly what is to be
done in their case. For weeks a NUN,
Der of the officers have been arrang,
ing their business affairs so as to be
able to take their place with their
units in the training camp. 1t is un,
fair to these men 10 talk about ode.
hberations il there is any palmer
word possible. .sg - ....
o.. r----------e e.