The Hawaiian gazette., 1915-10-26
Director general Finds Personal
Interests Will Not Permit
Him To Serve
RESIGNATION HANDED
TO PRESIDENT HAGENS
Unexpected Action Throws All
Plans For 1916 Festival
High In Air

Pressure Of private business compel.
ed Judge Henry E. Cooper to resign
yesterday as director general of the
Mid-Pacifie Carnival. lie arrived nj
his decision with great reluctance, after
earnest consideration, and he said last
night that nothing would induce him
to alter it,
The Carnival directors were taken
completely by surprise. at Is true. y
said President J. F. c. Hagens, THAT
Judge Cooper has rendered his re.igna.
ton, but the board of directors has
not acted on IL and until it has been
brought before the directors / cannot
discuss it, A board meeting win be
called for an early date"
"I am sorry said Judge Cooper.
"that my resignation has become pub.
lie before il came to the board in tho
due course Of events, but | am sure
the board will believe me whom / SAY
that have discussed it with nobody
but Mr., Hagens. Now that the news
Is on the street, however, feel that
in justice both TO the Carnival ard nv
self, the facts ought TO be known be
fore they become distorted. NV resign
alton was delivered to Mr.. HRgens tfii.
morning in the following letter: @<-
Since my return from the main.
land / have been unable to give tn,
nee essary time to Carnival affs IRIS. This
has been due to pressure o. privati
business. / have been max ing long
hours and putting forth every effort
to bring about condition that woul%
permit me again to assume active
charge of the work But at the en-
of the second week | find myself still
embarrassed by new matters which
keep me busy every hour of the day
Z" The Luka will leave for the South
next week andI want very much to g
but it will be impossible for me to
get away. Z,
80 In view of the foregoing and the
prospects that my own affairs will kee'
me extremely busy for the next three
or four months. have come to the
! conc lusion thatqI shall not be able to
continue as director general Of the Car.
niVal. And ask to be relieved of that
ONCE. %"
"I will do all in my power to as
sist my successor and I believe that
there is yet sufficient time to organize
a successful Carnival season. -
The Luka TO which Judge Cooper re-
fers in his letter is the schooner of
that name owned by him and now lying
in Pearl Harbor. Her southern destin
alton is Palmyra, the copra island also
owned by the Judge.
"S.nce my return a fortnight ago
| from San Francisco" said Judge Coop
or last evening, possibilities for thu
development of Palmyra, under incuba
ton for the past two or three wears
suddenly have Matched. never SHOULD
have allowed myself to become directo'
4 general of the Carnival, but ! wa
Overpersuaded against my own bette
judgement. allowed myself TO hope
that no complication would arise il
nv own affairs, but our dffairs are mo-
wholly in our own hands and I have
been unable to control the growth of
mine.
IAN opportunity has arisen for the
development of Palmyra which | alone
can make the most Of. 7 tried to get
a substitute, but it has proved impos
sible. So acute was the situation tina
l tried to dispose Of my own holdings
with the Luka thrown in, at sacrifice
Of 100000.
"My associates would not consent
and I am still tied fast, Personal los.
was willing to take, but am not
a free agent, not the only principal in
this affair, though am the only ONT
on the spot 1t became with me mat
ter Of conscience; balancing Of re
snonsbilities. After painful perplexity
I reaches the clear conclusion that nv
duty was to act as have done, witt
the fullest appreciation Of all that my
decision entails,
"To make success Of the Carn'v
is a task that demands the undivided
time of one man. Circumstances be
yond my control made it impossible fol
me to free myself. If remained iii
rector general could not give the Car
nival my full time. / could not dc
Justice either to myself or to those
connected with me in my personal af
fairs. If there had been unlimited time
at our disposal might have unravelec
the snarl loop at time, but there
was not, and the only thing to do was
to cut the central knot"
Judge Cooper did not care to discuss
the development of Palmyra. To dc
so at this juncture, he said, would be
premature. He does not know wher
the LuKa will sail or how long shc
will be gone.