The Hawaiian gazette., 1918-08-09
FIELD DISCHARGES !
MEDICAL ADVISORY,
BOARD SECRETARY
Accuses J. G. BridweII OF DisIoy-
atty and Untruthfulness In
Connection With, His Duties
DISCHARGED Man" Will
LAY COUNTER CHARGE.
SeIectiVe Officer Refuses To Give
Reason For Act--Affair Threa- I
tens To Have Serious Results


John c. Bridwen, secretary of the
Medical Advisory Draft Board, 81 was
dismissed ehrTy' yesterday afternoon
from office by Captain H. Gooding
Field, selective. draft officer Of the Ter.
ritory, who accuses Mr.. Bridwell Of
disloyalty and untruthfulness"
Mr.. Bridwell threatens to lay in.
formation concerning Fields method Of
carrying on the draft work, before the
Governor with a request that the draft
official be summoned before a military
board for trial He also said yester-
day afternoon that his dismissal was
common knowledge around the national
guard armory and other public places
almost at the time he received the let
Ter containing his notice of dismissal
end because of this he may yet decide
to bring a suit for libel against the
draft official
The statements to the press,
which Field says we're "untruthfulP
were not explained by the darft official
hut are believed to relate to the draftee
mixups which, according to Hilo, re-
Elected upon Captain Field. Others
are believed to relate to more recent
stories in the press concerning the reg
istration of aliens who entered the Ter.
ritory since July 81, 1917
Captain Field in his letter accused
Rridwell of being "disloyal'', in addi-
ton to telling him that he had falsi-
fed, assuming that Bridwell had given
the information in question to the
press which Field asserts positively was
Gone.
Charges and Counter Charges
The entire upheaval in draft circles
follows statements made in both the
llilo and Honolulu newspapers coH-
cernng the sending of large number
Of men from Hilo by the Hilo Draft
Board, who were subsequently turned
loose by Captain Field, because he said
they had not been properly classified
and could not be .inducted into military
service. For this mix.up, the Hilo
papers blamed Captain Field, and quot
cd from his wireless messages and yer
bal Instructions to the Hilo Board, to
Indicate that he, and not the board,
was responsible for the faux pas. I
Another story was that many Fill
pinOs who entered the Islands after
July 81, 1917, had been illegally regis
tered, the selective draft regulations
being positive on this point in not re-
curing such entrants to be registered.
Although Captain Field did not specify
in his letter of dismissal that Mr.. Bird
well was responsible for the informa-
ton in either story, yet he did state
that Mr.. Bridwell was responsible for
certain untruthful statements to the
press The Advertiser did not re-
cPive its information from Mr.. Brid-
well.
Although Mr.. Bridwell is secretary
of the Medical Advisory Board, the
members of which are appointed by the
President upon the recommendation of
the Governor, just as the members Of
the local boards and the district board
are appointed, and each board employs
its own clerical help, yet Captain Field
stepped into the Medical Advisory
Board affairs yesterday and summarily
dismissed Mr.. Bridwell.
Field Is Mum
When asked later Just what were
the reasons back of the dismissal, Cap
tain Field said he had absolutely no
statement to make, and would make
none except that "it was for the good
of the service. Asked to explain
this statement, he said he would not
do so. When asked if the dismissal
had anything to do with statements APP
pearing in The Advertiser concerning
the recent mixups over the HilO draf
tees, wherein the HilO papers asserted
he was responsible for the pilikia, the
draft official declined to add anything
further, and reiterated that "it was
for the good of the service.
The action of Captain Field was sud
den, and among those who seemed to
have heard of the dismissal shortly
ufterward, the reason was quite am
higuous Mr.. Bridwell has exercised
unusual capabilty in the Interpretation
Of his duties and has given valuable
personal aid az an official to large
numbers of registrants and smOothed
away many Of the difficulties lying
before them. The summary discharge
# Mr. Bridwen, on the grounds given
by Captain Field, came as a surprise
when Mr.. Bridwell opened the letter.
1t is reported that Captain Field, in
arranging for rOund.ups, failed to
notify the medical advisory board,
through its secretary, of the impend-
ing raids, and Mr.. Bridwell is said to
nave felt that his Office and himself as
secretary had been sighted and 50 ex-
pressed himself, inasmuch as he believ-
cd he could have rendered considerable
assistance to the men on duty on such
lights in checking up the men brought
in from the streets.
Governor Mccarthy said yesterday
that be was called on the telephone by
Bndwell, who, after hesitating con
,rrsutiOn of several moments, asserted:
II am sorry" This the Governor
SAYS he repeated several times.
The Governor intimated that until
after he was called on the telephone
hy Bridwell that he did not know the
rntomologist had gotten into dispute
with Captain Field, or that there was
such man US Bridwell. 1t was from
this telephone conversation the Gov
rruor says he learned Bridwell had
furnished the press with the account of