The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-03-19
WOOD PREDICTS
BRIGHT FUTURE
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representative, and I had the pleasure
of meeting Admiral Dewey and other
prominent naval officers many times
The Admiral is an earnest advocate of
the immediate Improvement of Pearl
Harbor, believing the work to be of
vital Importance to the nation.
METCALF NOT OPPOSED.
At the first convenient opportunity
I called upon Secretary Metcalf, who,
had been informed, was opposed to
Pearl Harbor legislation. Presuming on
an acquaintance of several years stand
ing, | told the Secretary the object
of my mission and asked if the work
| the Honolulu Chamber of Commerce
was doing would be considered obiec-
tionable by the department Mr.. Met
calf at once replied: NO, on the con-
trary, we viii welcome your assist
ance, for in our opinion the improve
ments planned for Pearl Harbor should
/ ~ 'iN'N1 oetfACh az ohCe anu puSueu 10
completion, not because there is any
likelihood of war, but because the
trend of affairs in the Pacific demands
! that the work be done.'
Upon receipt of the cablegram from
President Morgan, stating that the
| Chamber stood ready to make the
borings necessary to determine the
cost of the improvement of the. en-
trance to Pearl Harbor, I immediately
called upon Admiral Dewey, who. after
consultation with the members of the
Naval Board, EXPRESSED approval of the
plan and commended in the warmest
terms of praise the action of our Cham
Der of Commerce in offering to do what
they could not attempt without a spe-
cial Act of Congress.
Il also took the cablegram to Gem
eral Mackenzie, Chief of Engineers,
who expressed the greatest pleasure
possible at the offer. The information
was badly needed, he said, yet as was
the case with the Navy Department,
there was no fund at his command to
obtain it.
REPUTATION FOR PUBLIC SPIRIT.
Upon request, both the army and
navy departments cabled their repre-
sentatives in Hawaii to assist the
Chamber of Commerce in carrying on
the work. I do not believe that the
Chamber ever made a better invest
ment than the expenditure at Pearl
Harbor. The information was neces-
sary, it could not be obtained in any
other way without mourning a delay
of many months and, by thus voluntari-
w l. Z Il.
taking and carrying out the work so
thoroughly under the supervision of
Captain Orwell, the Chamber has es-
tablished an enviable reputation in
Washington, as wideawake and pub
lie spirited organization.
Though resolutions from the lead
ing commercial bodies of the United
States, favoring Pearl Harbor, were
being sent into Congress by every mail
| felt that a few special letters, urging
that the work planned be undertaken
not for Hawaii s sake nor because we
asked it, but for. the much more i'm
portant reason, namely, to ensure the
proper protection of the Pacific Coast
would be good move.
ROOSEvELT'S PERSONAL EFFORT.
within a few days after these let
ters had begun to arrive in Washing
ton, | called, by appointment, upon
President Roosevelt, who expressed the
greatest interest in Pearl Harbor mat
tiers, spoke of the many letters he had
received from different chambers of
commerce all over the country, urging
favorable legislation and expressed his
appreciation of what he termed. the
right conception of existing conditions
shown. 1t was indeed this action of
friendly chambers of commerce that
induced the President to write that
three and a half page letter to different
senators and Congressman in regard to
the matter one of the strongest argu-
ments in favor of the development of
Pearl Harbor that has ever been writ
ten.
eve also know that the President,
realizing keenly the defenseless condl-
ton of the western coast of the United
States, the great need of providing
for the protection of the Pacific en-
trance to the Panama canal, the safe
guarding of our commerce, which can
only be assured by the establishment
of an adequate naval station at Pearl
Harbor and the rendering of the Island
of Oahu impregnable to attack, never
loses an opportunity to speak of these
matters to visiting senators and Con-
gressmen, and is apparently pleased to
be able to say that the leading COM
mercial bodies of the country, East,
as well as West, are strongly in favor
of the movement.
GOOD TEAM WORK.
"The Honolulu Chamber of Com
merce is most fortunate in having for
its regular representative at Wash
ington such an able man as Hon. F. M.
Hatch, who, with his wide acquaintance
and years of experience, combined
with an exhaustive knowledge of Ha-
wall s conditions and needs, is splen-
didly equipped for any service that
may be asked of him and can always
be depended upon in any emergency.
| am under many obligations for cour-
tesies received at his hands.
Il wish, at this time, also to ex-
press my appreciation of the good work