Martial law throughout Hawaii was declared Sunday morning by Governor Joseph B. Poindexter at about 10:30 a.m. This order was issued after the attack made on Oahu by Japanese airplanes. C. J. Fern, co-ordinator of the Kauai Major Disaster Council,
Martial law throughout Hawaii was declared Sunday morning by Governor Joseph B. Poindexter at about 10:30 a.m. This order was issued after the attack made on Oahu by Japanese airplanes.
C. J. Fern, co-ordinator of the Kauai Major Disaster Council, was by Governor Poindexter immediately authorized to take control of the civilian defense on Kauai. Mr. Fern’s position placed him in authority over all civilian governmental agencies. Calls were immediately sent out over Station KTOH for mobilization of the provisional police, the air raid wardens, the communication centers and all civilian personnel. Commander K. O. Soong of the American Legion was instructed to set up listening posts at strategic places.
Mr. Fern designated Station KTOH as the intelligence center for Kauai. By 11:45 a. m. the Kauai civilians had mobilized their forces and the island was completely on the alert.
At 1:30 p. m. Station KTOH was ordered off the air by army headquarters on Oahu. From that time on the telephone system was used as the means of communications.
During the afternoon, all area provisional police co-ordinators mobilized their volunteer forces and assigned guards to patrol all strategic points.
The alert is in force today and will continue until orders are received to the contrary from military authorities.
