The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1918-05-21

StOutly defending congress against
its critics and laying the blame for
what he termed the failure Of the
United States war program upon the
executive boards and commissions,
Delegate Kuhio, speaking at the un.
yelling of the Forestcrs Service Flag
at the Capitol grounds yesterday, en-
tered into a scathing criticism of the
administration s execution of its war
plans. Nor did local affairs escape the
Delegate 3 notice The attitude Of the
food commission and the territorial
Legislature on the shortage of the two
principal food staples of the Islands,
rice and poi, brought forth severe
comment.
KuhioNto took pains to point out that
America 5 part in the war so far has
been unsatisfactory and that every
American should know it. Only harm
can result from the belief that we are
doing great things on the western
front when we have only a handful of
men there. America should know the
truth about her war program and not
expect the Huns to be put to rout by
1.-THE first regiment of American troops
that set foot in France. In March,
1918, the Delegate said, there were
only two hundred thousand American
soldiers in the trenches.
While diselaiming any spirit Of crit
eism of the administration, Delegate
Kuhio made remarks that could not be
construed as praise.
Failure of Shipping Board
e Today the President of the United
States, with the vast authority given
him by the congress, has as much pow
er as the Kaiser said the Delegate,
after explaining how the Republicans
had not raised a single partisan OBJ
lection to the requirements of the ad
ministratiOn for war measures. The
Republicans regarded the necessities of
the war as those Of the people, and
gave their support willingly and with
out reservation.
"Let me tell you what congress has
done, in the way of passing war meas
ures and appropriations to carry these
measures through. They granted the
shipping board $500, 100000 with which
TO cover the ocean with fleets, but up
20 March 2S that board had only sue.
ceeded in launching three vessels.
Congress did its part. The shipping
board with all this money did not ear.
ry its program through.
I'The congress voted $3.50, 900
for airplane development and then
voted n deficiency appropriation of
4 4450.000, 900, and with his vast amount
the board was supposed to have 10000
- HfYht mr.
! ready to 90 to the front. Last March,
on the twenty eighth, notwithstanding
the fact that it was published broad
east that it was doing fighting with its
air fleets, this country had only one
fighting airplane in France fighting for
our country.
Liberty Motor Failure
'There has been lots Of talk about
the Liberty Motor, for which our con
gress gave them great appropriations.
4 After eight months experimentation
Z that motor has proven failure. Yet
the people have been told continually
what q wonderful motor it was.
7"Take our ordnance department.
Billions were set aside for ordnance,
and up to March 29, we had no big
4 guns of our own in France. We were
irving to improve the French guns;
we were experimenting. The men who
had charge of these things effect
ed no great results and the small ar
tiIlery we had over there was merely
70 the small old guns we had before.
y During this time they made only 1000,
600 rifles.
"My remarks are not a criticism Of
A. ,kn M al
ters, but I am citing these mat
ters because members of congress are
being criticised and being blamed for
not having the country ready after the
Emitted States has been one year in the
war.
Too Much Boosting
az also want to talk to you about
the harmful American hobby of boast
ing about what we are doing over there
in Europe. The most harmful thing we
do is our continual boasting. You have
heard of the great number of men we
have in France; of the millions that are
being sent to the front, and you ina
CINE we have millions there and a great
number of them fighting.
General Pershing cabIed on March
90 to the war department saying that If
there is anything that is doing harm to
our cause it is the reports being pub
Iished broadcast that we are fighting
here and there, when as matter OF
fact no such thing is happening at al
in certain of those places.
"Pershing urged the war department
to stop the newspapers from Boosting
end leading the people to believe that
the Americans are stopping the Ger
mans. 1t makes a bad impression up
X on our people to instill into their mind