Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1932-01-18
BY JOHN PHILLIPS MARoUAND.

on the responsibility for those condl-
lions.
BY JOHN PHILLIPS MARQUAND.
HONOLULU, January Is (N.AN.A).-
Like tree suddenly struck by a gale o.
wind. a tree solid to outward appear
ance but riddled by rot, law enforce
ment here has tottered and crumblet
before an unexpected and prolonged
storm of adverse publicity.
There has been no decentralization or
the part of the people. The city, ole
inhabitants will tell you, is no more
dangerous and filled by a no greater
criminal element this year than last, OF
for several years before.
Despite reports which have filtered
back from the mainland, there has beer
no rioting or stirring up Of racial hates
To quote Patrick Gleason, much
criticized head of the local police, whit
holds an elective office. Honolulu is
quiet place. He also has been quotec
as saying r<lat the trouble is there ha!
been too much publicity.
He is right in respect to his OWL
recent troubles and those of severa
other officials. Publicity which cculc
not be hushed by apathy or expedienc!
or civic pride has betrayed police
force shattered by feuds among its owl
elements, seemingly without knowl
edge of its own underworld, and utterly
incapable or unwilling to combat the
local gangs Of hoodlums.
Trouble Long Brewing.
Publicity shows a prison whose In
mates spend their week ends at home
and whose turnkeyS cut their hours o.
duty for the pleasures of this sunny
town And lastly, publicity has shown
what may be worse for city than un
scrupulous cleverness-incapacity on thu
part of its elected officers.
| But this, one must remember, L
political disintegration which does no
concern the mixture of races here. TIT
average citizen of Honolulu, no matte
what his color or creed, probably com
| pareS we'll with the average citizen O
| the big mainland cities.
The trouble here has been long II
brewing. 1t started last September will
| the brutal assault by five native youth
| of mixed blood on the wife Of Lieut.
Massie, U S. N. Five defendants wer
apprehended, members of local gang
The case of the prosecution seemed
strong, but to lay observers the prosecu
| ton was neither overzealouS nor over
| ably conducted. At the trial the publ
was astounded by the appearance O
detectives of the Honolulu force testify
! ing for the defense against brothe
officers called as prosecuting witnesses
Out of this confusion came charg'
! by the trial judge to jury which endet
deadlocked, charge legally fair, bu
so involved in the Technology OF tn
law that layman had difficulty II
understanding it in single reading.
Following this trial came an investi
cation by the sheriff of his force, which
seemingly ended nowhere, and an cleo
/ IRRIGATION of sentiment and resentment
when it was discovered that Admira
! Pettingill who Is stationed here, hac
notified his superior officer that Homo
| lulu was unsafe for the wives OF thu
Navy personnel
Situation Complicated.
These matters might have beer
uuieted by hush-hush methods and thu
! imminence of Christmas If they hat
not been complicated by the beating o
one of the defendants in the Ala Moan'
assault case, and an assault by an es
capped convict, who had departed easll,
from his prison on New Year eve, upol
the wife of local business man in he
home, in respectable suburban neigh
borhood.
On the heels of these events cam
the killing of Kahahawai, another o
the defendants, in the attack on Mrs
Massie, who was awaiting a retrial, ant
the consequent holding of Lieut.. MaSsie
his mother-in Mrs. ForteSque, ant
two naval enlisted men on charges o
first degree murder.
There Is no use for residents her
who love these islands, to. defend gen
eral apathy. now passed, low bail TO
rapists, small sentences, prompt par
dons and indications Of police cor
ruption and prosecuting inef1ciency
by saving that the same situation exist
in cities on the mainland.
doubt If any mainland city coul
be found, however corrupt its police Off
cials, which would tolerate the lenien
attitude toward sex crime which exist
here In the Pacific, or similar inabilit
or unwillingness of enforcement agencie
to arrest or prosecute.
To one living here even for shor
time the reasons for this amazin
neglect cease to be startling. Neglec
and dislike of trouble go too easily witt
the genial climate, ease OF life an
human 'selflshness, combined with
tolerance for others.
Racial Issue Denied.
Despite the efforts of some news
nsners to indicate racial difficulties, on
doubts If there is any other place Of
earth where as many divergent race
mingle with as little friction. 1t
sight worth remembering and al
achievement for Hawaii to be proud o.
tn see whites, Polynesians, Japanes
and chinese meet, smile and talk o.
any street corner in such times as thes'
There is no place where a strange
is more considerably treated, ane
though it seems paradox, no cit
Were there is a better ordered popu
iation, as may be proved by the quie
which has reigned in Honolulu in tn
midst of recent melodrama and alarm.
It is. Furthermore, q gross injustlc
to select any single race here for criti
cisrn. as the native Hawaiians have bee