The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1908-03-02
PEARL
HARBOR


TO THE DELEGATE or THE 18TH |
or LAST MONTH
The following letter from Delegate
Kuhio reviews the Pearl HarbOr silua-
tiOn before reconsideration was had /
of the decision against au approprIa-
ton
Washington, Feb. is. 1905 /
Editor of The Hawaiian star The /
decisive factor that crowded the Pearl |
Harbor item ont of the Naval AuUr9- /
priation bill was the decrease M tbe |
national revenues and the fixed deter T.
mination Of the leaders i'm Congress TO |
limit the appropriations at this session 1
preceding the Presidential election
The Naval Committee were mstruc, ]
.ed to cut down the submitted estimates
over twenty-three millions of dollars:
under such conditions new items are
almost inevitably sacrificed. and that
Is precisely what occurred.
Another factor was the well known
situation existing at present. that ow
ing to political considerations. the de-
sire Of the President to see particular
legislation enacted has not thus far
met with "A cordial response by Con-
gress during the present session.
Inquiry of our friends on the COM
mittees shows that the President has
sent no written communication TO
either Of the naval committees on the
subject OF Pearl Harbor. his support
thus far being limited to personal CON
yersations with certain members of
Congress.
The President did address a persona
letter, on Pearl Harbor and fortiGca-
tions, to Senator Warren. but the lat
ter is not a member Of the Naval Com
mittee
! greatly regret that a newspaper
campaign for Pearl Harbor was not
provided for in December. We had
some very strong support in the Naval
Committee, and | believe that de-
mand for the development of Pearl
Harbor by some of the leading news
papers Of the mainland might well
! have eXerteu an influence sufficiently
strong to have secured favorable ac-
! ton by the Committee.
Since the final draft Of the naval bill
was completed, we have been confer
ring with our friends in Congress and
in the Navy Department as to what
| line of effort would make it most pos
sible to force action on Pearl Harbr
by the present session Of Congress. /
already have assurances of help from
some very influential members; we
have also consulted the Speaker, and
believe that he favors action on Pearl
Harbor to a certain extent
AS a result Of the forces set i'm mo-
ton since the bill was closed up one
week ago, was today advised by two
members Of the committee that an eff
fort would be made to have the sub
ject again taken up by the Committee
this week.
Some of our friends on the Commit
tee advise that in order to enlist GER
tain eastern support, provision be
made for a steel floating dry dock, to
be manufactured in the east, and as
sembled on Pearl HarbOr. They argue
further that such a dock could be COM
pleted and installed within two years,
whereas masonry dry docks have all
required from seven to ten years Ia
complete. Inasmuch as such an author
ization would establish a naval base
and necessitate the channel improve
ment, and as it would be followed by
the building Of a craving dock latter
it may become advisable for us to line
Iup our friends for that proposition in
order to secure any action at all.
The one purpose Of our campaign is
to secure action at the present session
Of Congress; the plan Of campaign viii
nave to be shaped and reshaped as
sentiment within the Congress can be
developed and as the changing situa,
ton itself dictates. If no action at AL
is secured in the House, we shall theI
endeavor to have our item inserted IN
the Senate.
The cabled estimate Of Capt. Otwel
on Pearl Harbor channel amounts tC
about $2OO00OO as the cost Of a 80
foot channel, and $2,G0O,OO0 for 80
foot channel. These amounts are Sc
far in excess of what the Genera
Board had themselves calculated upon
that the navy officials are greatly dis
appointed; they recognize that this
heavy initial cost will greatly increase
| the difficulty in having Congress un
dertake the work, since it amounts t,
more than the total appropriations fol
the Puget Sound Navy Yard during thu
first eleven years Of its existence.
Although the naval bill was CLOSED
nine days ago, it will no. be reported
to the House for some days yet. Al