Evening star., 1925-02-12
BY ROBERT r. SMALL.

Because of the protests voiced in
the Japanese press and the wide dis
cussions which have taken place in
official circles, the American naval
maneuvers of the coming Spring
usually carried out in a routine.
humdrum sort Of way, have attracted
the attention OF the entire world
They have caused inquiries to be
made in the Congress and in the
diplomatic corps and even the Presi-
dent OF the United States has found
1t expedient to refer to the planned
operations Of the American feet as
carrying no suggestion or thought
which might cause offense or uneasi
ness to any friendly power.
The story of the maneuvers is
easily told. The American fleet is
going to try to take" the Hawaiian
Islands and is sailing out of San
Francisco the 18th of April on
that "warlike" mission.
The islands are TO be defended by
the home Earrisons of Army and
Navy forces.
AirpIanes Have Part.
And, believe it or not. airplanes
are to be used in large numbers both
by the attacking and defending units
This ought to please Gen. Mitchell
and all the air advocates in and out
of Congress.
In the coming maneuvers, however.
the heavy work is to be done. as
usual, by the bAttleships. Theoreti
cally, they are going to convoy and
open the way for a fleet of transports
supposed to carry a landing force of
many thousands OF marines. IL the
Navy had nothing but airplanes.- they
do not know how they could ever land
such a fighting force on allen" terri
tory.
The problem before the Navy In
the coming test is not only to take
Hawaii. but to take it intact. as it
were. In other words. the Navy must
capture the naval base at Pearl Har-
Dor, but not destroy it The idea Is
that the hostile feet must use Pearl
Harbor as it's own base for further
possible operations.
No Secrecy in Moves.
Out of Difference to the possible
sensibilities of the Japanese. the
maneuvers have been divested of vir-
tuaily every vestige of the usual Sc
orecy which surrounds the exercises
of military arm Of the Government.
While the maneuvers are among
the most pretentious the Navy ever
has undertaken. they are not as
broad In scope as the natural prob
lens involved would justify. For In
stance, the attacking" force sallying
out of San Franciscan impossible
situation from the very beginning.
Yet, IL the Navy should assemble
in Guam and sail from there against
the Hawaiian Islands, there might be
further diplomatic complications.
which the Navy at all times is de-
sirous of avoiding.
For the purposes of the war game
next April the Hawaiian Islands are
supposed to be cut off from all i'm
mediate assistance from the mother
mainland The naval and military
stations there will have to rely upon
their own resources to repel the
enemy" To assist the regular estab-
| Ilishments, the governor OF the islands
is expected to call out the National
Guard and the Army and Navy re-
serves. To what extent the martial
strength OF the islands Is to be mus
tered, the attackers are supposed to
have no knowledge. The Invaders"
are carrying a constructive fighting
force of $4,000 marines with them and
these are expected to DO the trick in
any land fighting which may be en-
countered.
Defense to He Elaborate.
The Hawaiian naval district looks
| rather weak on paper when IT is ex-
pected to stand up against IL buriy
| battleships and whole flock Of de-
| stroyers, light cruisers, submarines
and airplanes. The station, however,
will be augmented by two subma rine
divisions. several mine layers and
| will have It's, own aircraft $3.50
Sailing from San Francisco April Is,
| the great naval armada is supposed
to reach the battle zone ten days later
and is further supposed to have ac-
complished or failed in it's purpose by
May /.
In many respects more significant
than the "war game win be the