The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1917-03-06
GERMANST[AMERS
MUSTIDE REMOVED
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
Resolution Submitted To Attor-
ney-General Who Finds Com
mission Within It's Rights
CAPTAIN FOSTER WILL BE
ORDERED TO MOVE SHIPS
rs,g -
Officials Determined To Take No
Chances OF Injury To
nataathe Port

The eight German refugee merchant
vessels now lying in Honolulu harbor
must get out. A resolution to that eff
feet was adopted by the board Of har-
Dor commissioners at a special exeeu-
tive session yesterday. The attorney
general says that the harbor board has
legal right to adopt and enforce this
: order, and Captain Foster, harbormas-
tel win be instructed TO take the YES
seis outside at once. K. .r4
For practically two years the eight
German vessels have been lying in the
harbor, where they took refuge from
their British and Japanese enemies who
were securing the Pacific for German
shipping. They were received here
with hospitality and treated like citi-
zens. The officers and crews Of the
ships wrecked the machinery of their
ships and tried TO sink two of them in
the harbor during the week prior to
February 3, the date on which the
crew of the German cruiser Geier set
fire to the vessel with intent TO destroy
her.
In view of the strained relations be-
tween Germany and the United States,
the imminent danger of war, and the
fact that the Germans had already
shown themselves ready to resort to
desperate measures, the presence of the
German vessels in the harbor has, since
February 3, been regarded as grave
menace. As The Advertiser has point
ed out, the crews of the vessels are
aboard, unguarded, and there is nothing
to prevent their blowing up their craft,
possibly killing many innocent people,
and damaging property, or having one
of the big vessels towed to the harbor
entrance and sunk, thereby closing the
harbor. ,.....ra.t ... ..,..cas =.
Indeed, it has been reported during
the past week that further damage has
been done to the big steamer Pommern
by her crew, and there have been Fu-
rnors, which have received general cred
fenee, although improved, that explo-
sives have been found aboard some of
the vessels. a, 3. a-e sp.s,s.....a /, !
Last Tuesday, February 20, Repre-
sentative Bernard Kelekolio, of HilO,
introduced in the house of representa-.
tives a resolution calling attention to
the menace of the continued presence in
Honolulu harbor of the German craft,
and instructing the harbor board imme.
diately to order them outside. 81. II
1t was not on account of this resolu-
ton, however, that the harbor board
acted yesterday; for the resolution was
buried in committee, wnere 1t was care.
fully smothered. ,. ..t 49,. ..... H..
The resolution went to the military
committee, of which Silva, of Hilo, is
chairman. Last Saturday morning
Kelekolio arose and demanded to know
what had become of it, Speaker Hol-
stein addressed few remarks in Ha-
waiian to him and Relekolio subsidized
without getting any answer from the
chairman of the committee. I.., 4,
Yesterday Chairman Silva was asked
what had become of the resolution, aud
when it was to be reported out of com.
mittee. He assumed a look of great
alarm, made a s,h,h-h-hing sound, and
declared in mysterious tone of voice
that nothing had been done and moth.
ing was to be done. The harbor board,
he said, didn't want the resolution
adopted. This was after the harbor
board had already, on its own initia-
tive, adopted a resolution of similar i'm.
port. ... - ....l
Silva further stated that matters of
volved, and that for the legislature to
adopt Kelekolio 5 resolution might en-.
tail serious consequences. He did not
actually say that war with Germany
would result, but his words and manner
indicated that that would be the least
serious Of a whole string of catastro.
Plies. ri BID s...
To make the matter more mysterious,
t5ka Na1 kl.nk 4 A. 4
captain Clark, commandant of the
Pearl Harbor naval station, and the Off
Ger had told him that Kelekolio's reso-
lntion must on no account be adopted.
Captain Clark, Silva said, had told him
enough of the serious international sit
Hation to make him realize the, danger
GUS consequences of ordering the Ger
man steamships out of the haIbor.
IL seems, also, from Silva Is state.
ment, that Charles r. Forbes, chairman
Of the harbor board, wrote letter to
the legislature in reference to Kele,
koho 8 resolution, but that, on advice
OF the attorney general, he had with
drawn 1t, 1t would be extremely dan
gerous to have that letter made public,
Silva added. WI
CO, Mccarthy, member of the har-
Dor commission, said that the board had
all along wanted to &c. ria of the Ger.
man ships, but had not taken action be-
fore because It didn't know whether or
not 1t had the right to order them out.
side. The resolution adopted yester.
day, he said, had been referred to the
encouragement for an opinion as to
the authority Of the harbor board 10
order the German ships towed outside.
IL the attorney general held that the
hoard had snch right, Harbormaster
Foster would be given instructions at
once 10 take them outside. .i. ~,
ATTORNEYS General Stainback stated
later that the harbor board was entirely
within its legal rights in the resolution
Il had adopted.
fhe point has been raised that In the
a..a.aA ~ Ln.... 49,. - -