The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1918-04-02

An Unfortunate Threat

~ army cooperation from the Territorial Fair,
because criticism is voiced against the reported
failure Of army officers to observe the Hoover rules
will not commend itself to fair minded men in the
community. who will fail to see why all should
be punished for the faults Of some, even If those
some be at fault. 80.
Major Merriam, chief of staff, assures The Ad-
vertiser that the army officers here are following
the national. food conservation rules as strictly
military necessity permits. His has been the first
statement to that effect authoritatively given,
while statements to the contrary have been pub
licly made for some time. III a. ;........
7 There is no reason to doubt what the chief of
staff now says but his or General Wisser's state
ment along these lines might better have been
made unaccompaned by any threat to withdraw
the army from the fair. II would have come with
better grace and would not have left any impress
sion that at army headquarters any civilian crti-
csm of the military regarded as lese majestic, to
be dealt with la Prusse.
The Advertiser is informed from Schofeld that
the sweeping generalization by Judge Ashford is
unfair to the greater number Of officers, whose
households are being conducted as closely to the
requirements of the food situation as possible.
! This is satisfactory knowledge, with the added
satisfaction that from on those of the mill
tary who are slackers in food conservation mat
tiers will appreciate that they are recognized as
such.
Judge Ashford is absolutely correct in his con-
tention that there cannot be rule for civilians
and another for army officers, living under prac-
ticallv the same conditions. There has never yet
been made by the food administration any excep-
tons for men in uniforms or for their families
that we have seen, although common sense will
show that some exceptions are permissible. Men
in hard physical training require the most sub
stantial food, and this, in some instances will
apply to officers of the regular army on Oahu. By
no possible stretch of the military imagination
however, can it be made to include the families OF
officers.
This phase of the food conservation question
brings up again the old of special privilege
We have this to excess in Hawaii, Mayor Fern
wants exceptions made for the Hawaiians be-
cause they are Hawaiians; the Japanese, in some
eases want special privileges in the way Of alec
bolic rights becanse they are Japanese. Other:
want something else because they are something
else and some army men argue that they SHOULD
have their special dispensations because they are
army 1t is time we all commenced thinking
of ourselves as Americans and not as some specia
kind of citizen requiring some special kind OF con
sideration.
The decision of the army not only to participate
in the first Territorial Fair but to take such par
in it as to make its success certain has been re
ccived by civilians of the Territory with unquali
fed pleasure. The stamp of official approva
placed upon the efforts OF the civilians to brini
} producers and consumers together for mutual ben
eft and as a part of the production side of tn
food problem solution was what needed, Tn
faction of General Wiser and the hearty coopera
$ ton of Colonel Scho6ed were appreciated ant
I This appreciation has been voiced from one end O
' the group to the other
1t is too bad, Therefore to have the exceen
effect of it all spoiled in degree by the threat o
the commanding general now to the army
part of the community affair big stick agains
activity.