The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-06-13
REPORT MADE On
MOHONk MEETING
w. R. Castle Tells Chamber
of Commerce About
Conference.

At the meeting of the Chamber OF
Commerce held yesterday the follow
ing letters touching on the recent Lake
Mohonk Conference were read:
Mr.. w. NJ Giffard, President, Homo
lulu Chamber of Commerce.
NV dear Mr.. Giffard: I am glad to
be able to report the Lake Mohonk
conference to you as being a very sue
scessful one. You sent me no instruc-
tons, except the resolutions sent by
the Chamber of Commerce to President
Roosevelt, so / had to decide on va
rious questions myself.
{ Informally, I talked with a great
many on the advantage Of the Islands
as a resort for tourists and as a field
for investment. Several people said
they should try to go out during the
coming winter.
At the meeting, run by the represen-
tatives of the various Chambers OF
Commerce, I made one of the eight
ten-minute addresses. You will see
what 1 said when the report Of the
conference is mailed to you. I had no
idea that I was to speak until just be-
fore the meeting, so had no time to
prepare and may have been inaccu-
rate in consequence. Perhaps exceed
ed my authority in strongly urging
two measures as considered important
by people in Honolulu-measures
which I myself think both important
and practicable. They were that The
Hague Conference be urged to declare
the inviolability ofe private property,
in contraband, in time of war, and the
naturalization of ocean trade routes. 1t
seemed to me that both of these were,
from our point of view, exceedinly i'm
portant, and I was very glad that the
conference adopted them.
T must also admit that I actually
went against the resolutions of the
Chamber in voting against having any
thing in the Mohonk platform about
limitation of armament. The platform
urged that The Hague adopt certain
not that they discuss them.
felt that discussion of this question
would be valuable, but knew that the
practical difficulties in the way of such
limitation would make it impossible at
the present time. and thought we
should urge only those things which
will naturally follow but which can
not precede the adoption of a general
arbitration treaty. I am telling you
just what I did, that you may censure
me If you wish. / am sure, however,
that, had you been present, you would
have done the same on this question.
Hon. Andrew D. White told Mr.. Smiley
that my speech gave him several new
ideas about the Islands, and a great
many men came up to talk with me on
the subject.
May be bold enough to make sug-
gestion? I think it would be an excel
lent idea if the Chamber of Commerce
Of Honolulu would offer a prize of, say
$50, to be competed for by the various
school children in Honolulu, the prize
to be awarded to the writer of the
best essay on international arbitration.
I believe thoroughly that the world
peace is a thing which cannot be OBJ
tanned in a year, or ten years, but that
1t can only grow from the enlightened
understanding of those who are now
in the schools. We Hawaiians, from
our geographical situation, need peace
more than most, and should be fore
most in promoting it. The best way
to do this is to educate our children in
the right ideas.
I want to thank you again for your
kindness in appointing me your dele
gate, and only hope that I succeeded
in doing something to help on the
of our Territory.
Very sincerely,
(Signed) WILLIAM r. CASTLE JR.