Imperial Valley press., 1917-08-01
HAWAIIAN MEN REGISTER
ELIGIBLES IN ISLANDS ARE BE.
ING ENROLLED.
Expected That Approximately $4,000
Will Be Registered
Today.
(By Associated PreSs)

Honolulu, T. H.. July 31.-The men
of Hawaii between the ages of II and
81 are registering today, under tn,
provision of the Selective
Draft Act.
Hawaii is several weeks behind the
rest of the county, because, it is
stated by local army authorities, this
territory already has more than its
Quota of men under arms, the per-
sonnel of the National Guard being in
excess of the number of soldiers Ha-
awii would be called upon to furnish
or the first draft.
Registration in Hawaii is a much
more complicated and difficult prob
lem than it was on the mainland, or
account of the polyglot nature of the
The registration board
was many weeks in making prepara
tons for today, for the reason THAI
there are dozens of different ma
represented in the popu
lation and it was necessary to take
steps to bring to their notice, in their
own several languages. the necessity
and requirements for registration.
A large staff of interpreters had
to be assembled, to translate into Ha-
waiian, Chinese, Japanese, Spanish
ana many other languages the regis
t alton proclamation and the instruc-
tons for registration. This staff has
leen at work for weeks, and the sew
eral islands of the Territory have
been plastered with notices in the
various languages impressing tn.
male population with the necessity for
all those not specifically exempt 70
register, whether liable for draft or
rot.
Many of the Orientals have shown
great interest in the work and not a
few Japanese and Chinese volunteered
their services free as translators.
In proportion to the number of
those liable for draft, Hawaii may
be called upon to furnish heavier
quota Of soldiers than any other part
q the United States. This is be-
cause, while all males between twen-
ty-one and thirty years of age and
nIr exempted as members of the ma
tonal guard or other military bodies.
are required to register. only citizens
Are liable to draft, yet the number to
Oe drafted is based upon total regis
II alton and not upon citizen registra-
lion.
And in Hawaii considerably more
than half of the population is non
'itizen. and an inordinate proportio
of il is male and unmarried. This Is
particularly true of the apanese, who
IRE nearly half the total population
of the islands. Most of them arr
comparatively young men who came
to Hawaii as laborers before the so
called "gentlemen's' agreement be
tween Japan and the United States
vent into force, and who came as
single men. Many of them have
since sent to Japan for "picture
Brides" but the proportion of unmar
ried men among them is very large.
1t is roughly estimated that out Of
a total population of 226,OOO in the
territory there will be found to %
as the result of registration today
approximately $4,000 rnen who ar,
liable for military service under tn,
terms of the Selectrive Draft Act. An
vi tually all of the $4,000 will conc
from the white and Hawaiian race ;
the Orientals, except such as wcr,
born here, being Ineligible.
The work of registration is bcjr.
handled by the regular election ma.
chlnery, presided over by the count,
clerks and sheriffs. The offer of thJ
Republican and Democratic territor.
ial committees to give the use OF
tfelr machinery was declined by tho
registration board on the ground that
it might give political tinge to the
occasion.
Registration Day was declared le.
gal holiday by Governor Finkham, and
the result is that practically all of the
business houses are closed today ir
order that nothing may interfere with
the employees of those houses register
ing.