Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-05-06
DANIELS FULLY
EXPECTS TOGET
THROUGH CANAL
Secretary of the Navy Deter
mined to Bring BattIeShip
Division to Hawaii
WILL COME HERE EVEN
IF CANAL TRIP FAILS
Experts Investigating PoSSibil-
ity That War Vessels Can't
Navigate Big Waterway
BY c. S. ALBERT.
,ecIsl Star-Bulletin Correspondence

Especial Star-Bulletin Correspondence
WASHINGTON, D. c., April %
Secretary Daniels maintains a stead
fast optimism regarding the passage
of the Atlantic fleet through the PAN
ANA Canal and his subsequent voyage
with a division of battleships to Ho-
nolulu. He refuses to believe that il
will be impossible for the great dread
noughts to be transferred through the
canal because of slides or shallow wa
ter 1t is his firm belief that all OBJ
stacles will be smoothed out between
this time and July 4.
If nature and unforeseen events
should prevent the Atlantic feet from
going to San Francisco, through the
canal, as anticipated, Secretary Dan
iels hopes to continue his journey and
inspect the great drydock at Pearl
Harbor. 1t is his present intention to
bring with him a division of battle
ships from the Pacific coast if they
are found available for that purpose.
This secondary program is only men
toned in the possible contingency
that the canal will not permit the pas.
sage of the larger warships. .....
Within the past two days renewed
doubt has arisen concerning the abil-
ity of the Atlantic fleet to pass the
canal 1t is declared by naval officers
that some sections of the canal are
not deep enough now to permit the
passage of dreadnoughts in safety, and
there is no assurance that the neces-
sary- dredging will be completed in
time for the proposed cruise to San
Francisco. .~-.... -.
When plans for sending the fleet
through the waterway were first an.
nounced, Gov. Goethals declined to
promise that, the feat would be pos.
sible. officials hoped, however, to see
the channels dredged to their full
depth by the middle of the summer,
and arrangements for the cruise have
been going ahead on this basis.
Report Called for ~. 81
Secretary Daniels now has called
upon Capt. Hugh Rodman, marine SUI.
perintendent of the canal, for a report
on the prospective conditions in July.
Secretary Garrison, at Mr.. Daniels
request, has called for a similar re-
port from Gov. Goethals, governor Of
the canal It was said yesterday that
these reports would be forthcoming in
week, as haste is necessary in view
Of the fact that the time is approach
ing when coal and other supplies for
the long voyage must be purchased.
No earth movements in the Canal
Zone have been reported recently, but
the work of clearing away the Gu
caraci1a and Culebra slides still is I'M
finished and the channel at this point
is only 80 feet deep. When completed
the canal will have minimum depth
OF AZ feet.
Commercial vessels are passing
through without interruption at the
present time, but navy officials think
grave risk would be incurred should
an attempt be made to send a great
battleship across the isthmus before
dredging is completed.
Acting Secretary Confident
Acting Secretary Of the Navy Roose-
welt today pointed out that there is
no real apprehension that a single
war vessel could not go through. But
what the Navy Department is con.
cerned about is that the entire feet
shall be able to pass through and not
get caught in a situation wherein per-
haps half the fleet is on the Atlantic
side and the other half on the Pacific
side. .-s-.@ ~.
1t is to find out the exact situation
with reference to the passage of the
fleet as a whole that the War Depart.
ment has asked Governor Goethals to
give an opinion and the Navy Depart.
ment has asked for the views of Cap.
tain Rodman. ,
Thus far Goethals has refrained
from taking the responsibility of max
ing a prediction. :...t"...