"A POTENTIAL ENEMY LANDING OPERATION FROM BOATS"

GEN. HINES SAYS HAWAII'S GARRISON IS INADEQUATE TO DEFEND THE ISLANDS

Washington, D.C. (JFK+50) On June 7, 1925, 15 and a half years before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Major General John L. Hines* declared that "the present garrison is inadequate" in numbers of troops and aircraft to defend the Hawaiian Islands.

Maj. Gen. Hines, chief of staff of the United States Army, came to that conclusion after "the recent grand joint Army and Navy maneuvers."

The General said...

"A commander must not only have enough troops to hold the essential positions and to man his armament, but he must have enough troops left to form an adequate reserve."

In 1925, however, the main concern of the defense of Hawaii was not an attack from the air, but a landing operation by an enemy using "boats from transports to the beach."

JFK+50 NOTE

On Dec 7, 1941, there were 87,000 U.S. military personnel stationed in Hawaii along with 100 naval vessels.  Pearl Harbor was headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet.  All U.S. aircraft carriers stationed there were out to sea at the time of the attack.

353 Japanese aircraft attacked Oahu destroying 188 U.S. airplanes (151 on the ground) & damaging 159.  Multiple battleships, cruisers & other U.S. vessels were destroyed or badly damaged. 2403 military personnel & civilians were killed.

*John Leonard Hines (1868-1968) served as chief of staff of the U.S. Army 1924-1926.  JLH was born in White Sulphur Springs, WVA & graduated USMA 1891.  He served in the Spanish-American & Philippine-American Wars as well as WWI.

SOURCE

"Gen. Hines Claims Hawaiian Garrison Inadequate in War," The Sunday Star, Washington, D.C., June 7, 1925,  Chronicling America, Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/

Maj. Gen. John L. Hines, Brig. Gen. Hugh A. Drum 

& Maj. Francis B. Wilby

Capitol Hill (1925)

National Photo Company

Library of Congress

"ATTEMPT TO ORGANIZE COMMUNIST LEAGUE AMONG SOLDIERS"

ARMY PRIVATE SENTENCED TO 40 YEARS IN PRISON FOR COMMUNIST PREACHING

Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands (JFK+50) On April 4, 1925, Associated Press reports that one Private Paul Crouch of the 21st Infantry, United States Army, "was sent to 40 years imprisonment and given a dishonorable discharge" after being convicted of an attempt to organize the revolutionary communist league among soldiers stationed at Schofield Barracks* here in Hawaii.

According to the AP report...

"Crouch was charged with having issued propaganda under the pretext of being a teacher of Esperanto at Army schools." 

*Schofield Barracks is a US Army installation located in the Wahiawa District on Oahu, Hawaii.  

 SOURCE 

"Gets 40 year Term For 'Red' Preaching," The Evening Star, Washington, D.C., April 4, 1925, Chronicling America, Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/

Schofield Barracks

Honolulu, Hawaii

April 30, 2014

www.flickr.com/

"RECOMMENDS ACTION TO SAFEGUARD HAWAII"

 JAPANESE BECOMING "REAL MENACE" TO HAWAII SAYS SENATOR LENROOT

San Francisco (JFK+50) On April 11, 1923, the Evening Star reports United States Senator Irvine L. Lenroot* (R-Wisconsin) has "declared the Japanese question is becoming a real menace to the Hawaiian Islands and American interests."

The Senator, having just returned from a visit of several weeks in Honolulu, advocates "some...action by Congress to safeguard Hawaii..."

Senator Lenroot said...

"The Japanese are not now voting in large numbers, but anyone who witnessed the greatly increased Japanese population cannot but be concerned..."

*Irvine Luther Lenroot (1869-1949) was born in Superior, Wisconsin & attended Parsons Business College before reading the law.  ILL served in the WI State Assembly 1901-1907, US House of Representatives 1909-1918 & US Senate 1918-1927.  He was an Associate Judge on the US Court of Customs & Patent Appeals 1929-1944.

SOURCE

"Lenroot Fears Japanese Will Control Hawaii," The Evening Star, Washington, D.C., April 11, 1923, Chronicling America, Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/

Senator Irvine L. Lenroot

R-Wisconsin

Harris & Ewing Photo

Library of Congress

 

ATTACK ON BUDDHISTS

BUDDHIST PAGODAS ATTACKED IN SOUTH VIETNAM

Saigon (JFK+50) Special Forces loyal to President Nho Dinh Diem's brother, Ngo Dinh Nho, attacked Buddhist pagodas here in South Vietnam's capital city fifty-one years ago today, August 21, 1963.

1400 Buddhists were arrested in the attack.

While the majority of people in South Vietnam were Buddhist, Diem and most of his supporters were Catholic.

Earlier in May 1963, Buddhists held demonstrations against Diem's repressive government.

LBJ and Ngo Dinh Nho

May 12, 1961

LBJ Library Photo

HAWAII BECOMES 50TH STATE

Washington, D.C. (JFK+50) The territory of Hawaii* became the 50th state in the Union fifty-five years ago today, August 21, 1959.

President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who signed The Admission Act providing for the addition of Hawaii to the United States on March 18, 1959, unveiled the new 50 star Flag of the United States.

The flag would fly nationwide for the first time on July 4, 1960.

Iolani Palace, Honolulu

Photo by Jiang (2005)

In the words of Poka Laenui...

"Communities lit bon fires...cars blared their horns and people walked the streets with broad grins and greetings, seeing themselves as full-fledged Americans."

Hawaiians had been American citizens since 1900 when the Hawaii Organic Act passed by the Congress granted citizenship to all citizens of the Republic of Hawaii.

Hawaii statehood was both supported and opposed over the next 59 years.

The first statehood bill was introduced in 1921.  The attack on Pearl Harbor and WWII set the movement back.

The admission of Alaska as the 49th state in January 1949 influenced Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle to support Hawaii statehood.

*Hawaii is located 2000 miles SW of North America.  It is the southernmost state and the only one not located in North America.  Hawaii is composed of 8 major islands and is only one of four states other than the original 13 to have been a republic.

SOURCE

"Statehood: A Second Glance," by Poka Laenui, www.hawaii-nation.org

"I'M FOR ROOSEVELT" PUBLISHED 

New York City (JFK+50) Seventy-eight years ago today, August 21, 1936, New York publishers Reynal and Hitchcock released a 149 page book by Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr. titled "I'm For Roosevelt".

The book demonstrated how the programs and policies of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt helped revitalize the American economy.

LINCOLN-DOUGLAS DEBATES BEGIN

Ottawa, Illinois (JFK+50) The first of seven face to face debates between Illinois senatorial candidates Stephen A. Douglas and Abraham Lincoln opened 156 years ago today, August 21, 1858, here in Ottawa.

Lincoln, representing the Republican party, was hopeful of unseating the incumbent Douglas, a Democrat.

The main topic of the debates was the issue of slavery and specifically should the so-called "peculiar institution" be allowed to spread into the western territories. 

Lincoln had taken a strong stand against the spread of slavery, as had the Republican party founded just four years earlier, while Douglas was open to allowing the settlers of the territories decide the fate of slavery by vote.

In this first debate, Lincoln said:

"I have no purpose....to interfere with the institution of slavery in states where it exists. 

 I have no purpose to introduce political and social equality between the white and black races, but there is no reason....why the negro is not entitled to all the natural rights enumerated in the Declaration of Independence."

SLAVE REVOLT BREAKS OUT IN VIRGINIA

Southampton County, Virginia (JFK+50) Nat Turner**, along with seven followers, murdered his owner, Joseph Travis, along with his family, as a slave revolt began here in Southampton, 183 years ago today, August 21, 1831.

Turner then set out across the countryside hoping to rally other slaves to his cause.

Over the next two days, Nat Turner and 75 followers killed 60 whites before being overwhelmed by the state militia. 

Turner was not captured until late October.  He was tried, convicted, sentenced to death and hanged on November 11, 1831.

The rebellion was the largest slave revolt in US history.

**Nat Turner (1800-1831) was born a slave of Benjamin Turner of Southampton County, Virginia.  He learned to read and write and began preaching to fellow slaves.  Turner believed God called him to lead his slave revolt in 1831 against white masters.

After his death, "The Confessions of Nat Turner" was published by Thomas Ruffin Gray.

Capture of Nat Turner

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