Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-11-20
EDITOR
National Guard Readiness

The quick response of national guard officers yes
terday to Senator Poindexters inquiry as to how
many wish to 60 to France is not surprising The
guardsmen here arc mp and coming" and for years
past the guard has been held to the front by a
systematic community effort. T..
The fruits of the effort begun by individuals and
such organizations as the AID Club years ago and
carried on by territorial officials such as Governor
Pinkham are now evident. The Hawaiian guard
went into camp at Kawailoa at a higher pitch OF
efficiency combined with numbers than ever before.
Of course it would take months of intensive train
ing to prepare these officers and men for actual
warfare in Europe but the nucleus is here of good
fighting material, and the spirit of willingness is
part of that same enthusiasm which has been fos-
tered by entire territory.
The Hawaii national guard is reaping hearty
praise all over the mainland, and the enlistments
and draft records in the islands have won quite as
wide attention. Some of the comments have al
ready been published here. Another, from far
away as Richmond, Virginia, is that of the Times
Despatch, which says:
When any community comes forward and insists
upon furnishing soldiers than the government
requires of it, that community is entitled to the
plause of the nation Hawaii, ward in MidPacific,
has done that thing and the should not be passed
over as if it commonplace incident. 1t
should be duly recognized by the whole country just
as the government itself already has recognized it.
The facts are that Hawais enlistments in the reg.
uar army and the national guard, all of them volun
tary, more than twice exceed the quota assigned to
that territory under the selectve draft law that
reason this island not required to contribute
single man either to the first increment the second
Of the national army.
Notwithstanding this, Hawaii proceeded with the
registration in the followed by the
and other territories. In ALL 1897 registered
being of military of whom only 1896 citizens
or decarans. And now many of these registrants
clamoring for opportunity to into the military
service. Many of them would be accepted in the reg
uler army volunteers but they want to be drafted
They want to be represented in the national army,
just as they represented in the regulars and
the guard ..-
Hawaii has appealed to the department to waive
the territorys credit because of voluntary enlist
ments. He has asked that quota assigned to Ha-
wall and that units of tie national army selected
from among his people He states in this connection
that fully 40 cent of all alien regiments will waive
any claim for exemption based upon their alienship
This action may not be taken by the administra-
ton but the government has not been slow to appre-
ciate the patriotism which prompted the governors
petition. The remarkably patriotic spirit Hawaii"
says General Croweer, lis highly gratifying at this
time, and the peopl- o. the island be congra-
tulaed their loyalty and DEVOTION And is in
no way reflection 9TH states territories
to remark that Hawaii stands alone among them in a
dem nd that she be allowed to contribute more men
to the army than the law provides for.
Very likely the mobilization of the national guard
will be FASTENED by the visit of the congressman and
their impression that the guard will be a valuable
fighting CUNT.