The Hawaiian gazette., 1918-05-17

NEEDED, is RULING
Decisions Of State Departmental
IieVed Result loi Letter BY Hal
ton and Efforts Of Mcclellan

| 4. 4 ~
No passports are needed for tourist
travel between the mainland and Ha-
waii, according to ruling Of the
statC"dePartment yesterday as reported
by the Associated Press.
The action of the state department
in handing down the ruling is believed
TO have resulted from 4 letter sent. in
April to Secretary Lansing by Fred
I J. Halton, secretary Of the Hawaii
Promotion Committee. rs well ms
through the efforts Of George Mex. Nc.
Clellan, representative Of the Homo
lulu Chamber Of Commerce.,
The despatch said that tourists and
other Travellers will be required only
to secure certificates from the immigra-
ton officials at the ports of departure
on the mainland to come to the Is
lands T'.. e4luf
: Under date of April 20, Secretary
Halton directed a long letter 10 the
secretary of state detailing the need.
lessnCss of the passport restriction
placed on Hawaii travel, although EN-.
Phasis. was laid upon. the point that
the promotion committee would at all
times abide by any war regulations
which the government saw fit 10 inn
pose. 49,, 49,.
A strong Argument in the promotion
man 3 letter was that there was no more
reason why o traveller should secure
permit to come to Hawaii than to 20
from Washington to New York. Sec.
rotary McClellan's efforts also are be-
ieved to have been along. similar lines.
% AT the same time he wrote 10 the
SCI retQry of state, Secretary IIalton
also forwarded letter TO Melville
Stone, manager of the Associated Press,
asking that, q correspondent. be detail
ed TO investigate the passport and
travel permit muddle. sd
Letter 20 Lansing Il, NJ. .3..a
The PromotiOrl5 mans letter to Secre-
tary Lansing said: y At5G-'a s4t
!, Early last November instructions
were issued, apparently from your Of
fee to railroad ticket agents that it
was necessary for travellers TO Hawaii
to first secure passports. These in
structions were. later cancelled and the
permit system inaugurated whereby
passenger 10 Hawaii must apply for
permit to- the collector of customs at
the port of departure, On receipt of
adYices that a system Of permits was
required, we tclegraphed to the repre-
sentative Of the Honolulu Chamber of
Commerce at Washington, Of which we
are q committee, for advices as to
whether this regulation requiring per-
mits was designed 70 curtail tourist
travel or travel for pleasure. On April
~ we received his reply that there
was no intention on che part of the
government to eurtail pleasure travel
to Hawaii, 49, . .,.1. ~.
'1"stnee then We have had a passenger
arriving here from Toledo who was re-
fused a railroad ticket to San Francis
GO unless he bad a passports We have
had several cases Of persons arriving
here, armed with passports, and while
we want II distinctly understood that
this committee at all times stands be-
hind the government in all regulations
that il sees fit to. impose, at the Same
time, being actually q part of the Uni
ted states, il would appear, that these
regulations impose q hardship on Ha-
wall and place! these Islands 70 a great
disadvantage compared to California,
Florida and other tourist centers.
Appears Illogical ESQ .,-. ,tay
g.. The navy department, here exercises
every complete and thorough examina-
ton Of all persons arriving here wheth-
er from the mainland OF from foreign
ports, and We probably have more con
troll over persons travelling to these
Islands than TO any other part OF. the
United States, II would, therefore, ap,
pear illogical TO ask travellers to secure
permits to come to these Islands when
they do not secure them to 60 from
New York to. Washington. u ~. 4 /, ssv.l
THE main object of this letter, how
ever, is to ask that if the regulations
regarding permits are, in the opinion
of the government, necessary, will you
not issue Instructions to all passport
bureau Offices and other officials who
handle passports or permits, advising
them exactly what is necessary, ms. the
railroad and, tourist agencies seem to
be working at cross purposes through
lack of definite instructions from your
Office. ! would suggest also that the
Official Bulletin issued by the govern
ment contain d copy of your instruc-
tiQns in this regard so that every news
paper, in the country would clarity the
position in regard to the necessity for
ppfmits or paSsDorfalt - 80 4. ....'. -. a..