The Hawaiian gazette., 1918-08-06
FIELD IS BLAMED
Blythe H|LO BOARD
FOR DRAFT M|X-UP
Officers Reported To Have Given
Orders Which Resulted In Men
Being Wrongly Sent
MAJOR COOPER TAKES
.# ISSUE WITH CAPTAIN
BIG Island Men Refuse To sit stu
Under Imputation OF NegIi-
uence; Ask instructions

The Hilo draft board was acting up
on instructions from Capt. H. @. Field,
seIective draft officer when it sent all
Class, / men to Honolulu that could be
rounded up in the course of two days,
according to the Hilo Tribune. This
appears TO determine the responsible
ity for the sending Of a lot Of men to
Honolulu who were unprovided with
proper induction papers.
There Is also n difference of opinion
over the whole subject of the men or
dered from Hawaii, between Maj. Char
he's b. Cooper, Medical Reserve Corps,
who has been in charge of the medical
examinations of draftees at the mobil-
iEation camp, and Captain Field, ard
Major Cooper has so informed the Hilo
board.
' Thirteen FiipinOs and Hawaiians
who were sent here on Saturday by
the Hilo board and absolutely without
draft registration Identification, except
a steamer tag, were cared for by the
labor bureau of the planters associa-
ton on Saturday and may be sent
back to the island Of Hawaii on Wed
nesday to be returned to their former
places of occupation, unless they &C
cept employment that may be found
for them here. 1t is also possible that
before Wednesday induction papers
may be received from Hilo to apply to
some of the men.
Field Was Positive
'The distinct instructions from Cap
tain Field as received in q wireless on
July 26 were that all men Of Class
must be sent to Honolulu" says the
Tribune. 1.-THE captain instructed the
draft board verbally to call every
man who had been classified in Class
H. whether in the qualified or defer
red divisions.
"The instructions were plain and
the board obeyed them. The demand
for 493 men was absolute and that num-
. Der absolutely would take every man
in Class l, who could be located in the
short time available. /"
Major Cooper has taken issue with
the instructions Of Captain Field, and
has fully exonerated the East Hawaii
Draft Board which followed the posi-
tive instructions of Captain Field, ac-
eording to the Tribune of August 2, to
send any man who was in Glass l.,
whether or not his height and weight
were correct, or his physical examina-
tion favorable.
''The board has no intention of sit
ting still under any imputation of neg
hgence," says the Tribune. at sent
- the exact facts to Honolulu in plain
language and asked what it was ex-
peeted to do when it had two sets of
contradictory orders.
Back came word from Major
Cooper that only men fully qualified a.
physically fit for service should be sent
up for final examination. This was the
original order and it stands reaffrmed
in direct contradiction of two wireless
messages dated July26 and 81 from
Capt. II. GOoding Field, which speci.
fcally stated that all men of Class /
irrespective of deferred ratings, should
be dispatched to Honolulu.
No Misinterpretation Possible
:These instructions Captain Field re
iterated in person when here last Sun
day. The local board obcycd them and
then had the humiliation of learning
that twenty five percent Of the men sent
to Honolulu had been rejected.
"Quite naturally the board felt much
relieved to be informed that it was not
held responsible for confusion that or
iginated elsewhere. and Yesterday il
J;snoat;a, '"' "'''
- a." ;.a.I.,
nhvsioiona af ,Ln h- I"J"' .""lT' t"'
I'll, IL H. ""'I 'N"'"'"''' P"!
1nJa M tno NV" WI" ".' ~ 'o"''
aou%y nio't eve" seventy n'e ne'
Sou'u "o oo'"ln'''' many were ''Je''"
hoi UEEiouS ca"StS
"1ien' worried the urAt' ohclal'
most, lor WINE 'h' he'Eh' OF mat ur'
men remained tht same as IN I"I'' some
Oh tne'f ~eiGntS had either increased o.
ueefeased, Inc minimum weight wa
SCI at 100 Pouhh' by capt II. "OodIni
fiein IN MS wireless or ""nheSha1
AFTERNOON TO the local board. Lark 1"
time made 1t impossible to weigh thu
men again but in cases where there wa
81 ylslbly a large margin over the stand
= ard weight as recorded at the time o
registration, the men were included il
the contingent.
"At eleven o o'clock a large humble
of men had been summarily rejected b,
the local board as not attaining tn
standard now required. These men
however. were all in the deferred see