Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-03-19
GERMAN VESSELS
Still IN PORT;
BOARD WAITING
Shipping Firm consults Attor-
neys and May Let Commits
SionerS Use Its Tugboat


authority late this afternoon that
further correspondence en- the Ger
man refugee ship between the
agents and The harbor commission
would probably Issue late today or to.
morrow morning. .-
No meeting of the board OF harbor
commissioners was held today, the
first day without q meeting in more
than a week
At noon new angles on the German
refugee merchant steamer situation
were these:
The harbor board received a COM
munication from Lieut.. Col X. r. Ray.
mond, United States army engineer OF
ficer for the Hawaiian district, In re-
ply TO its letter requesting permission
to drive dolphins lmooring piles) In
Rotten Row to moor the PoTnmern and
Setos. The letter is said to state that
the district engineer, while not having
authority to grant the request, will not
oppose the boards contemplated ac-
ton.
Castle & Cooke, the local Matson
Navigation Company agency, expects
to receive an opinion late this after
noon from its attorneys, Smith, War
rem & Whitney, stating whether the
agency can allow the harbormaster to
use the Matson tug Intrepid TO tow the
Pommern to sea without rendering it.
self liable for damages despite the
warning letter sent ont Friday after
noon by Hackfeld & Company TO Mat.
son agency and all other shipping
firms In the city, causing the latter
Saturday morning to refuse the harbor
board the use of tugs or other vessels
to tow the Pommern outside.
The Kona gale blowing last night
and today has dashed the sea to fury.
and at noon local waterfront men were
OF the opinion that had the Pommern
been anchored outside Saturday as the
harbor board had ordered, but found
impossible, the giant freighter would
surely have been driven on the reef
and wrecked.
Collector OF the Port Malcolm A.
Franklin said shortly before noon that
he had received no further instruc-
tlons from Washington about the Ger
man steamers here.
Next Meeting 10 Uncertain
Chairman Charles r. Forbes Of the
harbor board said shortly before noon
that he did not know when he would
call another meeting. 1t is thought
one may be held late today or tomor
row to act on the letter from the dis
trict engineer.
At the meeting last week when the
question OF mooring the Pommern and
Setos In Rotten Row was considered
the harbor commissioners made f.
clear that the two freighters will be
moored parallel with the channel and
not at right angles to Il as are the
Kilauea and other vessels OF the Inter
Island reserve fleet. This plan win
leave plenty Of room for all steamers
to pass up and down the channel to
and from piers in the Eva basin.
Governor Has No Reply
Down TO / o'clock this afternoon no
reply had been received by Gov. Lucius
z. Pinkham from Secretary of State
Robert Lansing to the lengthy cable
gram sent 20 the secretary at Wash
ington Friday night BY the territory's
chief executive in reply to an earlier
cable from the secretary Of state.
Developments In the efforts Of the
harbor board to move or have moved
the steamers Pommern and Setos from
Saturday afternoon. to this morning
consisted in the sending Of two iden-
teal letters dated Saturday by the
board TO the two houses Of the legis-
latupe. These letters said:
Gentlemen: Herewita we respect
fully submit q copy Of action made. !
seconded and readily carried at q spe
cial meeting OF the board Of harbor
commissioners held this morning,
the governor Is requested toi
forward q despatch to Secretary of the
Interior Lane at Washington. solicit. |
ing necessary assistance whereby we
may obtain the removal of the German |
refugee vessels now lying at the terri |
torial wharves. We would most earn. |
estly and respectfully request that you |
use your influence to obtain the de |
sired result Awaiting your kindly CO.
operation In this matter"
House Receives Letter
The communication from the harbor |
board asking assistance in its efforts |
to secure the removal Of the German |
refugee steamers from Honolulu har-
Dor, which was received by the house |
Of representatives shortly before 1ul
o'clock this morning. has been referred |
by Speaker H. L. Holstein to the com |
mittee on health, military and police,
Of which Representative Evan da Silva
Is chairman.
Il move that this communication be /
to the military committee,
said Representative Kelekolio, whose
were responsible for the /
entire German ship investigation.
4 don't see anything that the mill
tary committee can do, asserted Rep
resentative Miles. ''This communion
ton only reports the action OF the
harbor board"
References Causes Disputes
But Speaker Holstein had different
riews.
The military committee might be
able to get a tug for the board to tow
put these ships" he ventured.
Kelekolio took the floor again.
According to this letter." he said,
the harbor board is helpless. Let the
committee of the house at
END to the towing Of these beats out
Of the harbor."
Miles arose to defend the militar,