Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-03-14
SEARCH REPORTED
|. OF GERMAN SHIPS

Continued from page onel
/ Is now the case. as the most adequate
R.ethod OF solving the problem re,
garding the disposition OF the vessels,
] is the opinion Of the barber board a.
/ expressed IN letter sent to the house
Of representatives this morning.
The letter poitns out three possible
ways Of disposing of the ships, but
points out that that of leaving them
where they nov are seems 70 be the
most feasible.
expected 4 nthe house this afternoon.
| IT vas understood the committee on
military, which has been investigat.
ing under resolutions. demanding the
removal Of the ships from the harbor
and statement by the harbor board
why they have not been removed,
would report this afternoon.
Following is tie letter from the har-
Dor board: s +4
In further rely to house resolution
No. ~, the board Of harbor commits.
sioners beg to state that they have
held several conferences with your
committee on health, police and mill.
tary and have given into the hands
OF the committee all correspondence,
minutes Of meetings of the board and
ether papers touching on the status Of
German refugee vessels now in Homo
lulu harbor There are three disposi-
tons CT these vessels theoretically
possible: s.- :
4. They may be towed to some 9th.
er harbor.
'2. They may be anchored outside
the reef at ~
g. They may be left where they
now lie, under heavy bond to protect
the safety of the harbor.
OF these dispositions one is impos-
sible and neither of the remaining two
is free from objections. II has been
the task of the board to determine the
least Objectionable and the most prac-
teal OF the alternatives, keeping al.
ways in mind not only the object
sought but the governing conditions of
a-complicated and delicate situation.
AS long ago as july, 1915, permits.
sion was sought from the secretary of
the navy to anchor these vessels in
Pearl Harbor. Secretary Daniels re.
piled that Pearl Harbor is a closed
port and he regretted that he could
not comply with the request of the
board. Nevertheless, on the 9th of
last month the board renewed its ap.
plicatfon through Capt. Clark, com 1
mandant of the naval station at Pearl
Harbor. To date the commandment has
heard nothing from Washington that
will permit him to make reply.
To eliminate Pearl Harbor from-theI
possibilities virtually closes the ques-
tion of seeking some other asylum.
Honolulu and Pearl Harbor are the
only two .landlocked barbors in the
Islands. Nobody, to my knowledge,
has suggested that we tow these YES
sells to sHilo or the Pacific coast, and
the difficulties and objections in the 1
path of such project are so obvious
that they seem unnecessary to discuss
In this letter.
We settle, then, on choice of let
ting the vessels lie where they are or
anchoring them outside the reef Let
us first consider their present position.
Two OF them, the Pommefn and the
Setos, lie at territorial wharyes; the
others are berthed at private pier
The question Of jurisdiction obtrudes
at the outset.
Thus the question is further mar.
rowed to what shall be done with the
two. steamships. the Pommern and the
Setos. These vessels were disabled;
they cannot move an inch under their
own steam; they cannot even raise
steam, CT If they could they cannot
turn over their engines. If they remain |
where they are there. is no possibility
that they will become a greater men.
ace to navigation than they now con-
stitute lying mobile. But they may
be blown up, or sunk by opening the |
sea cocks, or set on fire.
II is reasonable to take into acs
count the probable action Of the own
ers. They have no wish to destroy |
their property for the pleasure Of do
Ing themselves an injury. They hope |
1t some future date to have the use
of their property again. In gripping
the engines they we're actnated by a /
desire to render their property use-l
less to possible enemy. That pur-
pose has been effected. There re-
liaias no reason why the" should be
blown up now. but If there did they
nave been searched for explos YES and
lone found Precautions to prevent
my from being taken abiari :ierea.ter
ire easy Of enforcemaL.
AS for scuttiing. the Setos is
grounded now. II her sea cocks were
opened she might settle few inehes
iafther into the mud, not more. The
2ommern. il filled and sunk. would
aill rise high enough to leave her
main deck 10 feet above water. Her