Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-12-14
GermaniSm In Honolulu

1t is certainty that every American who read
Yesterday the Grassh"f diary revelations published
in the Star Bulletin said to himself
How has it happened that this bold and danger
intrigue carried OH under the nose OF Amer
lean officials in Honolulu? @
1t is quite conceivable that Capt Grasshof of the
informed cruiser Gcer could have communicated
verbally and in writing with such secret agents as
N IL could have dealt through Germans here,
and could have carried his schemes with Boy-Ed,
Won Papen and Won BernstOrff, for little was done
to restrict the freedom Of action Of the informed
Germans until we ourselves broke with Germany.
But the Geier commander went much further. tie
. rehabitated and constantly used wireless APP
paratus board the cruiser while the little vessel
. lay at a local wharf within few yards of naval
Office, under the eyes of all manner of OficladOm.
There is a rising tide of complaint which will not
be stilled against apparent indifference, in some
quarters to instance of what has seemed to be Ger
man propaganda or activity brought to official at
tention Let it not be supposed that such official
Indifference is universal. On the contrary. the pub
LEGATION of the Grasshof diary yesterday shows that
the naval intelligence Office is ION the job But
such facts as those set down by Grasshof indicate
the audacity with which the Germans plotted in
small community where city, territorial and federal
officials swarm.
The exhibition of official temporizing with Ger
man menace and insolence at the time when IL was
sought to move German ships out of the harDor
pretty we'll Disguised great many Americans mere
By that time the extent and INSCRIPTIONS nature
of the German spy.system and Berlin intrigue were
quite well known. Neither then nor since then has
there been excuse for any official to be asleep Oh
the lob Prior to the time when We went TO war
with Germany, it may be said that the whole coun-
try was asleep to the facts of Hun activity rev
newspapers such the Providence journal anu
the New York World, had exposed great many
incidents and few brainy men in Uncle sam
service were doing effective work more quietly ana
numerous pletters had been unearthed but 1t was
true of oficialdom in general, as of the American
people in general that they were not awake to the
necessity of eternal vigilance and unAagging yigor
in every community.
The east has had it's awakening. Hawaii is just
beginning to rub its eyes Perhaps after awhile
Hawaii will begin to 'fget mad" Perhaps these
revelations will sink home and arouse in the heart
Of every citizen the burning indignation which Ger
man perfdy ought to arouse. Perhaps we shall
begin to realize that German plotting concerns not
only New York and Washington and Halifax but
Honolulu Perhaps we shall strip the situation OF
q sentiment colored by long friendships, and see
Hun ruthlessness in all its brazen, lying blackness
John r. Rathom, the editor of the Providence
Journal keeps standing at the head of his editorial
column daily warning in which this sentence
occurs: ...~"
aEpe,p German or Austrian in the United States,
anSess kHotcn By gears of association to be dbSo-
lutely loyal, should be treated as potential spy
That warning is as timely in Honolulu as in
Providence .>5.r. 81 ILL.,.
I 81 + "a T.