Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-12-11
Continued from page u


congress for ratification by congress.
The commission by formal vote has
ratified the. prior action in sending
you this bill and requests that you do
all in your power to secure ratification
by congress.
The commission consists OF not to
exceed nine members and so far
James D. Dole tHawaiian Pineapple
Coz, John Waterh0usc alexander q
BALDWIN,, Arthur K OzaWa attorney
at law, Richard lvers &C. Brewer &
Coz. Frank Blake (Hawaiian Electric
Coz and c. G.. BoCkus businessman
have been appointed. Three ether
members will be appointed. one each
from Maui, Kauai and Hawaii. Dr..
Dean OF the College of Hawaii has
been appointed by the commission as
executive officer. and C. r. Hemenway
and myself consulting attorneys.
The most serious thing now facing
the commission is that of the prob
able mobilization OF the national
guard. Hawaii does not desire to
seem unpatriotic, but after the state
ments OF Secretary Lane, Secretary
Houston and others, and the clause in
the army bill relating to possible ex-
emption of agricultural laborers by
the President, the question is whether
or not it Is better Tor the nation as a
whole to have a large national guard
here in Hawaii and a terrible result
ing loss in the production Of sugar,
now needed by the United States, as
we'll as the lmpossibility of Hawaii
becoming in any degree self-support-
ing, or a national guard Of reasonable
size and the continued and, We hope,
increased production Of agricultural
that Hawaii is a highly especialised
agricultural community with a pres
enL shortage of labor, so that an abb
normally large guard would not only
materially reduce production here, but
seriously cripple our industries
AT the present time there are four
regiments of the national guard in the
territory, one each on Oahu, Hawaii,
Maui and Kauai. The population OF
the territory is approximately 22S.000,
with slightly over so per cent alien.
and not eligible for the guard. As we
understand it the national guard in
the United States is to be increased
to 625, 200. This would mean Hawaii e
proportion, based on population, would
be approximately 1431. III based on
citizen population the figures would
be cut In half) The present strength
Of our guard, after the discharge Of
men with dependents, is 1857, SO that
We have already over twice our pro.
portionate number. This means II
per cent of our voting population. II
the four regiments were increased to
the full war strength it would mean
over 5000 or A per cent of the voting
population; II We add to this two
classes of conscripts Of approximately
1900 each we would have a force of
men of TO- 400 or over, an absurd mum
Der for Hawaii. We sincerely hope
our national guard can be kept down
| to q reasonable size The increase to
war strength, or 5000, would at the
present time materially reduce agri,
cultural production, and in the next
year or two reduce this production in
an amount difficult to estimate. Ha.
wall would unquestionably become a
drain on the United States instead OF
an aid. -....-..-.
The question Of the regiments on
the outside Islands is a little peculiar
They were originally raised as home
guard-it is not necessary to state the
purpose here-and it is . fact that
enlistments we're received on the
statement that the men would not
leave the island. On Maui, for In
stance, so per cent OF the voters are
I.guardsmen and an even greater per.
| centage on Kauai. As the men enlist.
l ing include the better educated and
skilled laborers it 10 easy to see that
Maui and Kauai as an agricultural
factor for the United States would
practically pass out II the entire
guard was taken from these islands.
The sugar plantations are perhaps
the most hard hit, and particularly so
Iif the increase is to 5000 or over, be.
cause the balance will come largely
from the Filipino laborers. But it is
not only the plantations; the Haiku
| farmers, the Kula farmers, the
Kauai homesteaders, and In fact farm
ers and homesteaders throughout the
entire territory will be hit body
blow by the withdrawal of such a
number Of agricultural laborers. The
seriousness of the situation can per.
haps be only appreciated by men who,
like yourself, are familiar with local
conditions. q /
"Just what form our wire to you
win take / am unable to say at the
present time, as we are trying to work