The Hawaiian gazette., 1917-07-10
CHAMBER Denies
FALSE REPORTS
Letters Sent To Organizations
On Mainland Giving Facts
r. Travel To Hawaii

In order to correct any erroneous i'm.
preston that may prevail as 10 the
safety Of travelling TO Hawaii, letters
have been sent out by the chamber Of
commerce to ave hundred and eighty.
FIVE mainland chambers setting forth
the truth Of the situation as regards
the Islands. The letters, written and
signed by Raymond c. Brown, seere.
tary read as follows:i. ~ eyitt Hoo
"In order to correct an erroreons
impression which seems to prevail. and
TO reassure you and your friends, II Won
entertain any degree of anxiety over n
situation which apparently obtains
throughout the mainland as regards Ha.
waii, permit us please, to outline a few
OF the injustices which are being prac.
tised against the Territory of Hawaii,
and the harm that these conditions are
doing us and possibly may be doing
you. % -" =
"Rumor has IL that IL Is dangerous
to travel on the Pacific, and we desire
to say to you, in all candor, that there
Is no more danger in travelling on the
Pacific Ocean, insofar as war raiders
are concerned, than there would be in
travelling on the Great Lakes. and IL
your members will but stop TO consider
the matter and weigh II with all their
reasoning power, / think they can be
brought TO appreciate the absolute folly
of entertaining any fear. -. ..'..
Only Phantom Ships
1.-THE enemies of our country have
tnn unnnh nj khasw a
in the waters adjacent to their home
to divide their force and come into the
Pacific where very little would be found
to attract their attention. We of this
Territory have been called to see phan.
tom ships that have appeared in the
ofing; raider ships have been reported
in the southern Pacific; recently a sub
marine was reported off the coast of
California, which was found to be but
a whale, and every such rumor, follow.
ing investigation, has proved to be
hoax Matched in some over-fertile brain,
or else through the zealousness of our
enemies. = .,...- ., ..'
"Many of our friends on the main.
land are eternally fearful that we in
Hawaii win be swallowed up by vol
cano and they urge us to get out of
the country before it is too late. How
utterly absurd when it is pointed out
that in volcanic regions it is safer
where there is an active vent, and the
volcano of Kilauea is constantly ac-
tive and has been for many years.
Travel is Safe ~
"We have recently discovered
small outbreak of anthrax in some of
the cattle herds of the islands, but
anthrax is primarily stock disease
and exists now; and has existed for
many years throughout practically the
entire world. The Territorial veter.
inarians and the board of health i'm.
mediately took hold of the situation
and arrested the spread Of the disease
until today it has disappeared from all
but one of the islands and on that one
is under control, so that the total num-
Der of deaths in cattle as result of an.
thrax is but an infnitesimal percentage
when considering the large herds of cat
tie we maintain in the territory. '
The object of this letter is to cor
rect, so far as is possible through the
medium of your organization, a feeling
which has gone forth that it is dan.
gerous for travellers to come to Hawaii.
This Is not boosting letter and we
would not have it taken as such, but
we feel it due your people, if they may
anticipate visit to Hawaii, and due
also our people who are here in bust.
ness, to have these ridiculously absurd
rumoTs corrected. We do not know
Just how they started, but we have
strong suspicious, and if you will kindly
have this letter read to your members,
or published insofar as space will per.
init, through your house organ, SO that
these false Impressions may be correct
ed, we will appreciate it very much"