The Hawaiian gazette., 1918-03-19
WATERFRONT GUARD.
IS NOT ADEQUATE,
MARSHAL REPORTS.
Opinion Follows Tour With United
States Attorney and City ~.
Fire Chief ,,sdIGfr
FINDS bIL TANKS ARE -,
ESPECIALLY MENACES.
Only One Lone Guard and Fire
Starting There Might Blot
Out Entire Waterfront

United States Marshal J. J. Smiddy
has made report to the department OF
justice at Washington containing par.
tieulars on which he bases the opinion
that the Honolulu waterfront Is faI
from adequately guarded, that the Ho
.nolulu police department is not pre-
pared TO cope with anything in the ma.
ture of an outbreak on one of the
piers, and that a guarding burden which
now rests largely on the military should
be taken over by private interests
This summing up of the situation il
the result of tour of the waterfront
which was made by United States At
torney Huber, Fire Chief Thurston and
himself a week ago.
OIL Tank Menace
One of the most serious faults in
the guarding Of property by the own
ers, in the opinion Of Marshal Smiddy
is in the vicinity of the oil tanks
which he regards as the most serious
;ause of concern, containing as they
10, the possibility of the lightning like
ipread of confagratiOn over the water
front, when n stream of burning oil
might blot out the shipping in the har,
Dor and the piers and waterfront facil
tiles. This potent source of destruction
Is guarded only by lone watchmau
according to the official report.
There are other instances Of neglect
IN the part of owners Of waterfront
property which are covered at length
in the report that has gone forward Il
the department of justice The same
Iaxities have been made the subject OF
communications which were received
Yesterday morning by many of the of
tending property owners
These property owners are urged t.
respond in the matter Of guards as a
means of releasing the military guard
upon which now rests the burden OF
protection. In this contention Marsha
Smiddy rests his case with the atti
tude Of the secretary Of war which ha,
lust been expressed in official communi
cations. This refers to requests that
have been received by the war depart
ment for action in placing military
guards as a detail around industrial
properties.
Soldiers Not Policemen
In this question the war departmep:
contends that "the soldier in trainihe
who has offered his, life for the defense
Of country should not shcrifce .his eff
feetiveness by performing police duty
in the protection of property back Of
the line.'
This work is the duty of the citizen'
at home, the war department contends
1.-THE theater of operations for armet
soldiers is the battlefield of Europe
the communication of the war depart
ment proceeds. Each civilian SHOULD
aid his country by acting as a guart
for the detecting and prevention Of in
rigue deceit and all the familiar
tcalthy operations of the enemy in oul
midst Each soldier unnecessarily de
aimed as n guard in this country aid'
md abets the enemy in Europe"
The war department takes the grpunG
opportunity to fight the enemy il
France should not be called back no
Ned in this country for any purpose
other than the necessary military train
ng," and goes on to say that the dan
ger that comes from within should b.
met from within.
Inconvenience May Result
It is the contention of Mr.. SmiddN
in this respect that private individual
IRE evading their responsibility and h
believes that if steps are not taken by
them at once instructions may be re
eeived from Washington which ma!
greatly Inconvenience them.
Mr.. Smiddy has no power to enforce
waterfront guarding, on account Of thu
fact that specific rules have not ye
been formulated by the wan depart
ment. The general rules which have
been given out, however, are, in tn,
opinion of the United States marshal
sufficient to dictate the procedure a
Honolulu. He regards the late com
munication from the war department
as an answer to the queries, which ht
sent to them a week ago as to the Ho
nolulu situation.