Ka Hoku o Hawaii, Volume XXXVI, Number 6, 4 Iune 1941 — Food Scarcity In Emergency Faces Hawaii [ARTICLE]

Food Scarcity In Emergency Faces Hawaii

TWO SOLUTIONS SUGGESTED STORAGE AND CROP DIVERSIFICATION By FRANK TREMAINE HONOLULU - While the army and navy prepare to defend Hawaii, the Pacific gateway to the American continent, from any possible attack, Island civilians are preparing themselves for eventuallities which may bring the war to their quiet home. Most significant step in civilian preparations for defense introduction into both houses of the territorial legislature of an all-inclu-sive "war" bill which would delegate to Gov. Joseph Poindexter wide powers of control in event of an emergency. Other developments in Hawaii's civilian defense program include: 1 - Plans for food storage to make at least Oahu, the most heavily populated of the islands, selfsufficient for six months and experiments in crop diversification to enable the islands to raise more of their own foodstuffs. 2 - Proposals that handling of defense cargoes and related cargoes, such as food, be placed on a 24-hour basis in order to overcome harbor congestion. 3 - Training of civilians in conjunction with routine army maneuvers and in anti-sabotage work so that civilians may take over guarding of important installations, such as power plants, in event of an emergency. 4 - Enrollment and training of civilians for disaster relief work. 5 - Introduction of legislation to curb subversive activities in the territory. Food Output Specialized Lieut. Gen. Walter C. Short, commander of the Hawaiian department, warned that the territory is in no way self-sufficient in the matter of food because of the islands' specialized agriculture-sugar cane and pineapples. He pointed out that in any emergency which might disrupt communications with the U.S. mainland-2,500 miles away across the Pacific - availability of basic food crops and storage facilities would be an important safety measure. In that connection, Richard K. Kimball, member of the governor's emergency food committee, recently told Gov. Poindexter.

1 - That two and probably three local companies are preparing to erect warehouses for emergency food shortage. 2 - That food dealers are working on plans for purchase of $2,000,000 worth of four essential items to be financed by the Commodity Credit Corporation. 3 - That handling of all national defense and related cargoes should be on a 24-hour bases to prevent delay in unloading ships in Honolulu harbor. Basic Foods Lacking H. H. Warner, agricultural extension director at the University of Hawaii and a member of the emergency food committee, recently warned that the territory produces less than one-third of the human food consumed here and well below 10 per cent of such important foods as rice, wheat, flour, ? and ? ." Army authorities are completing arrangements with civilian emergency units to provide them with practice in conjunction with routine army maneuvers under which membets of such units would be given training in connection with operations of various military units. It was expected that civilians will operate in cooperation with army units for the first time to maneuvers this spring. At the same time, civilians throughout the islands in cities and on plantations have received training from civilian officers in anti- ? work.