Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-03-02
LOOKING At THE FACTS OF DEFENSE.

Governor Pinkham's special message to the legis-
laturp yesterday must answered not merely by the
lawmakers but by the people of the territory.
Is Hawaii to have a real or a half-real National
Guard and Naval Militia?
Is Hawaii willing to spend The money necessary
to make these organizations real?
Is Hawaii willing this money should be spent from
the revenues coming out of leasing public lands?
These in substance, are the questions the governor
puts up TO the legislators at the close of series of
thoughtproyokng statements and statistical tables.
We think that the general demand for a large Ma
tional Guard as voiced in the past three years,
proves that the people well aware of the neces-
sity of citizen army for defense purposes. But
are they awake to the fact that money must be spent
with no niggardlX hand to secure and support the
home organizations?
Turning to the method of getting the money--that
of land ineome-it is interesting to remember that
six years ago a Kauai senator, George Fairchild
proposed the leasing of lands for the purpose of pro-
|vidng revenues for public schools. The proposal
was defeated. the main argument against it being
that Hawaii should not halt in its homesteadng po-
hey; Hawaii should continue to open lands to small
farmers not to allow them to be held by large lease
holders.
This was six years ago when demonstrating was in
the hopeful experimental stage. Many abject fail
ures have been chronicled since then and few sue
cesses
Governor Pnkham has reduced to figures the
Homestead mortality it might be called = the
alarming extent to which homesteads pass into alien
hands, the large number of failures
The arguments which held good years ago do not
hold good today. The demonstrating theories are not
working out.
Meanwhile there'has come this new problem of ma
tional defense, in which Hawaii has and must have
ia conspicuous part.
1t is not necessary to add anything to the gov
|ernor's statement on this point. His message is
clear in emphasizing that Hawaii has got to do its
share, and that this share will cost money.
The governor has definite proposals which he calls
upon the legislature to consider. In principle we
agree with his message. At some points il is OBJ
scure and it bears the inferental passages which
detract from the clarity of most of Governor Pink
hams state papers, but its main thread of purpose
is unmistakable The Star.Bulletin hears also that
the governors plan has been approved in Washing
ton, which is strong argument for Endorsement by
the legislature.
There will, of course, rise an instant howl that
the governor is hostile to the small farmer, that he is
trying TO slip homestead control to the plantations,
that he is dissipating public revenues. The men
who chronically raise these bowls have not yet come
forward with any scheme of their own to finance the
National Guard and the Naval Militia Hawaii ought
to have. When they do bring forward such scheme,
it will be time to listen to them.
The legislature should, however. scrutinize care
fully the proposed expenditures. Ii is not only
proper but prudent for Legislative committees to
know exactly how national guard funds are being
spent and to be spent. Only through competent,
careful and authoritative auditing of the expenses
of the territory for military purposes can the legsla
ture Justify dyertng very large fund for the next
two wears. Having conducted such an audit and
proved that past expenditures have been we'll
handled, the legislators can properly authorize the
handling of the funds in the future.