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


congress Tot ratification ~ congress.
! he commission Oy iCrmal vote has
ratified The prIol action il sending
you this DIl and requests that you do
| all n yOul power to secure ratification
BY congress-
The commission consists OF not TO
exceed line members and so far
James j. Dole Hawaiian Pineapple
Co.. John WaterhUu~c alexander q
BALDWIN,. Arthur X ULawa attorney
at IaW Richard Iy"Ts C. Brewer &
Coz, Frank Blake CHaHa,lan Electric
Coz and {. &. Boo Hs Businessman
have been APPOINTED, Three other
mem brr3 VIII I've 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 O4 the national
guard Hawaii does not desire TO
seem unpatr.otiC, but after the state
meats OF secretary Lane, Secretary
Houston and others, and the clause in
the army Dill relating TO possible ex-
en,ptIOn OF agricultural laOOrers BY
the President, the question Is whether
or not it is better Tor the nation as
whole to have large national guard
heIe III Hawaii and terrible result.
ing loss IN the production Of sugar
now needed by the United States, az
we'll as the mgOsSibillty of HaWa all
becoming in an degree selt-suppOrt-
ing, or a national guard Of reasonable
size and the continued and, We hope,
in creased production OF agricultural
commodities. We must remember
that Hawaii is d highly especiallsed
agricultural community with d pres
ent shortage of labor, so that an alb
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,OOO,
with slightly over 50 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 $4,000. This would mean Hawaiie
proportion based on population, would
be approximately 1881. Qf 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 1851, so that
We have already over twice our pro-
portionate number. This means IA
per cent Of our voting population. If
the four regiments were increased to
the full war strength it would mean
over 5000 or "A per cent OF the voting
population; if We add to this two
classes of conscripts of approximately
1900 each we would have a force of
men Of 10, 400 or over, an absurd num-
Der for Hawaii. We sincerely hope
our national guard can be kept down
to a 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.
waii would unquestionably become
drain on the United States instead Of
an aid.
The question of the regiments on
the outside islands is little peculiar.
They were originally raised as home
guard-it is not necessary to state the
purpose here-and it Is a 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
guardsmen and an even greater per.
centage on Kauai. AS the men enlist
ing include the better educated and
skilled laborers it is easy to see that
Maui and Kauai as an agricultural
factor for the United States would
practically pass out If the entire
guard was taken from these islands.
The sugar plantations are perhaps
the most hard hit, and particularly so
If 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 a body
blow by the withdrawal of such
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.
Just what form our wire to you
will take am unable to say at the
present time, as we are trying to work