The Hawaiian gazette., 1917-03-13
Harbor Board Allows Itself Two
Hours To Get Refugee Ships
Out Of Harms Way
SECRET SESSION YESTERDAY
CONSIDERS THE MATTER
Margin Of Safety Provided For
and Is Duly Written
Into the Bond

II the officers and crews of the Ger.
man merchant ships in the harbor viii
only notify the board of harbor com.
nissioncfs two hours A advance Of thu
time they decide, II they do so decide,
to blow up the vessels, everything will
DE all right, because the harbor board
will have the right to pitch in and or.
der the steamers TO get right straight
out Of our harbor aud do their blowing
up outside. .'."#"
A clause somewhat TO that effect has
been inserted in the 100000 bond
drawn up by Deputy Attorney General
Arthur O.. Smith, upon the fling Of
which by the agents of the German ref
ugee ships, the vessels are 10 be allowed
co remain peacefully, " not necessarily
peaceably, at the docks where they are
now moored. i "
! The form of bond drawn up by the
attorney'general s Office was approved
4 BY the harbor board yesterday az an.
,ther Of its special and carefully unan.
nonnced meetings. However, II had
not been passed upon by Attorney Gen
eral Stainback himself. After he has
given his kokua, Il will then be sub
mitted to H. Hackfeld & Co, agents for
the German vessels, and if they want
to they win sign it.
Then, IL the German crews take Il
into their heads to blow up one or all
Iof their vessels, and in doing SO cause a
few hundred thousand dollars damage to
our harbor, kill couple of dozen people.
md wound our proud American feel.
ings. Wen have them Just where we
want them. We'll be in a position TO
force an American bonding company to
lpay with good American dollars for
whatever damage, up TO half million,
may have been done.
Kelekolio Not Satisfied
i But Bernard Kelekolio, member Of
the Legislature from Hilo, who intro
dnced resolution In the house demand
| ing that the harbor board Immediately
remove the German ships from Homo
luln harbor, and who later introduced
another resolution, adopted by the
house, demanding to know why the har,
Dor board had not removed the ships, is
not satisfied with the notion taken by
the board. He demanded that they do
one thing, and they thereupon did
something else!
i Kelekoho stated that he thought the
action followed by the board the height
of the ridiculous, HWhat good is IL
| going to do us TO have the German
ships under bondfn. he demanded.
"It would be worth good deal more
than half million dollars IL they
conld damage our harbor OF block the
entrance to IL. ] want to know why
the harbor board hasn' u done what the
Legislature told IL to do, and I'm going
TO flnd out before get through. -
Kelekolio was scheduled to make q
speech on the subject yesterday, but he
said nothing. II is known that power
full influence has been brought TO bear
, to- muffle this member Of the lepisla
\ ture, who has had the courage TO ex
press his opinions ON the subject, but II
Ia not believed that Kelekolio will sub
NIT TO be throttled by outside au
n thority.
Features OF the Bond
The features Of the bond which IN,
harbor board proposes 70 have tn,
agents for the German ships to sign in
clude the followings
The Territory shall be imdemniflec
against "any and all damage, delay
loss, or injury Of any sort b,
+, or in consequence Of the sinking. burn
, ing or otherwise injuring Of either Of
said vessels or by any act whatsoeve
of the masters. officers. crews, or an,
, member thereof. or other persons, a.
J any time aboard either OF said vessels
or connected Herewith. whether actin
under orders or otherwise.
The Indemnity shall include the eos
i Of replacing or repairing any structur,
4 or other property damaged by burning
= sinking or otherwise destroying tn
vessrls. e.
Q The agents must pay for the (" rails
- ing. salvage or removal O
/ either or both of said steamships IL tn
e same shall be sunk. destroyed, OF Il
5 any wise damaged al or in any govern
. meut berth, slip. pier, anchorage o
I waters in or part OF Honolulu harboI
including the channel.p
y The harbor board shall have the RICH
to search the steamers when neces
sary."