The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1915-07-09
HARBOR BOARD
ASKS WASHINGTON
FOR PORT RELIEF
Navy Department Requested To
Allow Refugee Ships To Go
To Naval Base
ADMIRAL MOORE POINTS
OUT WAY IN LETTER
Cable Message Sent Yesterday
May Bring About Solution
OF Difficulty

That the navy department permit the
German war bound merchant vessels
now in Honolulu, and such other yes
sells as may seek this port for refuge
to be stationed temporarily, at least,
at Pearl llarbOr, was the gist of a
cable sent yesterday by Charles X.
Forbes, chairman Of the harbor com.
mission, to Secretary Joscphus Daniels
of the navy department.
This step was decided upon hv the
board at its meeting yesterday, follow.
ing lengthy discussion of the present
and prospective con cstiOn Of the har-
Dor. The merchant ships in question
! are taking up docking room which will
be needed shortly, as at least thirty
extra freightcrs are expected to ar
rive in Honolulu during the month and
these are believed to he the forerun.
ners of large fleets of merchantmen
that, owing to the opening Of the
Panama Canal and the war in Europe,
will make Honolulu a port of call for
bunker coal and other purposes
Correspondence on Subject
The board has been taking this sub.
ject up with Admiral G. b. r. Moore,
naval commandant here, and consider,
| able correspondence on the question has
been exchanged between the commits
sion and the naval official. Pearl liar
Dor is, however, a closed port to mer
chant ships, except such as are engaged
in bringing supplies and material for
| the direct use of the naval authorities
at the big station.
The question of making use of Pearl
! IIarbor for statiOning the refugee mrr
chantmcn there and thus relieving the
congestion Of the Port Of Honolulu was
brought to a head yesterday when the
following letter from Admiral Moore
was read:
Admiral Moore's Letter
"Pearl HarbOr, r. H., July g, 1918.
"Gentlemen:-Your letter dated July
| was received just at the closing Of
business on Saturday, July ;, and !
have already communicated with you
| by telephone informing you Of the fact
that I am unable to grant you the re-
| lief requested on account of the fact
that Pearl Harbor is closed port and
no foreign vessel is allowed to enter
except by permission Of the secretary
of the navy in each case.
81 appreciate the congested condi
ton of the harbor of Honolulu and as
| informed you on Saturday l think
| it would be well for your commission
to telegraph to the navy department for
the relief desired. IF, however, this
course does not commend itself to you
and if YOU. will make the request that
! I telegraph for instructions, I will re,
fer your request to the navy depart
mcnt.
"Verv respectfullv,
&C. B. r. MOORE,
. Rear Admiral, L. s. N, COmmandant.
"Thr Board of HarbOr Commission
rrs Territory of Hawaii, Honolulu, T
Direct Request Sent
In view of Admiral MoOre's state
mrnt, the board decided that its chair
man should cable to Washington a
request for relief. Now, that the navy
department is made aware of the stu
alton here, it is believed that the re
quest will be granted. The German
cruiser Geicr and the German naval
auxiliary LOcksun will both remain in
Honolulu harhor should the permission
sought be granted, as these two vessels
are intrrned here and unable to leave
the port during the progress of the
war. The merchantmen are, however
free agents and might even depart from
the islands, if thew cared to run the
risk Of capture on the high seas by war
ships Of the powers now warning
against Germany.
Many applicants for positions of har
hor police and wharfngers made their
applications to the board yesterday. The
apnlications were all referred to Har
hormnster Foster.
Chairman Forbes reported on the in
vcstigatOns carried on by him during
his recent trip to the mainland in re
gard to harbor management and facil
itirs He made particular studies or
these subjects in the harbors of Sc
attic. San Francisco and New York
The f ndrr system in vO"ue elsewhere
was much discussed and some Of it
better features NAV be introduced here
! with the exception of Commissions
James Wakefield, who is now in tn,
mainland, all the members of the boar
we're present at Yesterdays meeting
The board will hold night sessions, be
ginning probably at halfpast sever
tonight, to discuss its new rules an
take up other business. Now that tn,
new biennial period has been begur
the board will have tn" spending o
several hundred thousand dollars it
hnrhor and wharf Improvement
throughout the islands. Chairman
Forbes, who is also superintendent o
puuhn. works, saws that he and tn
bonrl win have many busy days ahea'
Of them.
Fifteen uHesrup"'s will depart 70
L.-....-- t---.. - LLn I.ul-im IL IL