The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1917-07-10
HAWA|PS DRAFT
TOFOLLOWCLO
ONREGISTRAT|ON
Unofficial Reports State That No
Time win Be Lost In Calling
Fl. EligibIes To CoIors
STATUS OF GUARD IS
STILL UNDISCLoSED
Belief Still Strong That Militia
h viii Be On Active Service
BY End Of August

Information received unOfiicially
from Washington indicates that there
will be considerably less time between
the registration and the draft in HC
wall than will have been the case in
any other portion of the Union, but
whether those drafted in the Island,
will 90 directly into the regular army
regiments now in station here, or viii
enter the federal service indirectly, b,
being drafted into the national guaro
and being called out when it does, il
not apparent, s..'
The registration date for Hawaii j,
set by lIe President' 5 supplemental,
proclamation tor July 81. Ihe unot
iicial information is that the lists will
bo forwarded with the least possibl,
delay to Washington, where the draw
lag Tor the draft will take place. Il
tae information of those "in the
know proves to be authentic, the meh
drafted IN Hawaii will be in uniform
very shortly after September L. a,
winch time the recruits for the NItiOn
al Army will be gathering in their can
tonments on the mainland.
Sun HOPE For Guard
The first guess regarding the use I,
which the drafted men of Hawaii will
be put would be that they are to b,
used to bring the ranks of the two
militia regiments here up to wal
strength, which presupposes that tn,
national guard will be called into &C
tive service before Septemer /, as mel
cannot be drafted into an organiza
ton not in active service.
II is well known that the national
guard officials are using every bit OF
influence they can bring to bear t.
have the guard modified and the re
peated explanations from the militia
bureau that fear of disturbing the
labor conditions here prevents tn,
mobilization have not caused the re
quests upon Washington to stop
Rather, il has increased them, mas
much as the stand is taken that thG
guard may be called out without dis
turbing the plantation labor supply and
that the Washington impression il
based wholly on a misunderstanding.
Absurdity Otherwise
1t strikes the man in the street al
patent absurdity to proceed with
registration and draft when it is moi
intended to call out the guard and
when the guard is specifically exempt
cd from the draft. 1t is an absurditS
that can only be based on the sup
position that the greater number of ma
tional guardsmen are plantation labor
ers whose absence would cripple thu
sugar industry. The number of sucl
laborers in the guard today cannot
number more than two per cent of thu
plantation labor, while the Oahu regi
ment has practically no plantation
hands in its ranks.
These things are now being pointed
out TO General Mann of the militii
bureau.
Honolulu Supplies Most
There are available for draft in thu
Islands just about enough citizens Ot
draft age and physique to ill the rank
of the guard, and their drafting neeC
disturb the plantation labor conditions
not at all, inasmuch as those drafted
must be citizens and the number o.
citizens employed on the plantation
is small in comparison to the tOta
number of1 citizens. Honolulu wOulC
undoubtedly supply the majority of tn
drafted recruits.
But, whether the draft in Hawaii i
to be for the guard or the regulars
it appears certain that it will com,
within the next few weeks.