[House Report 114-720]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


114th Congress   }                                        {     Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 2d Session      }                                        {    114-720

======================================================================

 
ACKNOWLEDGING AND HONORING BRAVE YOUNG MEN FROM HAWAII WHO ENABLED THE 
    UNITED STATES TO ESTABLISH AND MAINTAIN JURISDICTION IN REMOTE 
 EQUATORIAL ISLANDS AS PROLONGED CONFLICT IN THE PACIFIC LED TO WORLD 
                                 WAR II

                                _______
                                

 September 6, 2016.--Referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be 
                                printed

                                _______
                                

Mr. Bishop of Utah, from the Committee on Natural Resources, submitted 
                             the following

                              R E P O R T

                       [To accompany H. Res. 169]

    The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred 
the resolution (H. Res. 169) acknowledging and honoring brave 
young men from Hawaii who enabled the United States to 
establish and maintain jurisdiction in remote equatorial 
islands as prolonged conflict in the Pacific lead to World War 
II, having considered the same, report favorably thereon 
without amendment and recommend that the resolution be agreed 
to.

                          PURPOSE OF THE BILL

    The purpose of House Resolution 169 is to acknowledge and 
honor brave young men from Hawaii who enabled the United States 
to establish and maintain jurisdiction in remote equatorial 
islands as prolonged conflict in the Pacific led to World War 
II.

                  BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

    The United States first began establishing its presence in 
the Equatorial Pacific during the mid-19th century through 
guano\1\ mining conducted by private American companies under 
the Guano Islands Act (48 U.S.C. 1411 et seq.). After several 
decades, guano resources became depleted, leading to the 
diminishing presence of American companies on the equatorial 
Pacific islands, leaving them vulnerable to development and 
claim by other world nations, especially the regional rival, 
Imperial Japan. The United States still maintained a desire for 
military and commercial air routes between Australia and 
California, air routes that would be facilitated by the use of 
Howland, Baker and Jarvis Islands. In 1935, the Department of 
Commerce developed a clandestine colonization plan with the 
objective of placing U.S. citizens on the remote islands for 
the United States to lay claim to them. The colonization 
program called for non-active military personnel, to avoid 
conflicting with international law regarding colonization by 
military.
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    \1\Guano is the excrement of seabirds, cave-dwelling bats, 
pinnipeds or birds in general and is a highly effective fertilizer due 
to its high concentration of nitrogen, phosphate and potassium.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    In March 1935, the U.S. government enlisted the help of 
native Hawaiians, graduates of the Kamehameha School for Boys, 
as well as furloughed Army personnel to establish the remote 
colonies necessary to lay claim to these islands in the 
equatorial Pacific. The native Hawaiian men were all skilled 
fishermen, expert swimmers and boatmen, and were willing to 
undertake the requested mission with discipline and optimism, 
making them the ideal candidates for the colonization program. 
By June 1935, the furloughed army personnel had been ordered 
off the islands and replaced by more graduates of the 
Kamehameha School, leaving only the native Hawaiian volunteers 
to maintain U.S. presence on the three remote islands. Daily 
tasks of the colonists included recording weather conditions, 
cultivating plants, maintaining daily activities logs, 
recording local fish and fauna, and collecting biological 
specimens for museum research.
    After a year-long occupation of the islands by these men, 
President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued Executive Order 7368, 
proclaiming that the islands of Howland, Baker and Jarvis were 
officially under the jurisdiction of the United States. 
Administration of these remote islands was granted to the 
Department of the Interior, with an emphasis on weather data 
and radio communication as the primary objectives of the 
colonists. In 1938, the U.S. colonized the islands of Canton 
and Enderbury with the objectives of furthering commercial 
aviation interest, and expanded the colonization program to 
include these two islands.
    By 1940, the Navy acknowledged a desire to maintain these 
remote islands for strategic military positions against the 
threat of the Imperial Japanese fleet. On December 8, 1941, 
Howland Island was attacked by a fleet of Japanese bombers, 
killing Hawaiian colonists Joseph Keliihananui and Richard 
Whaley. The other islands were also subsequently attacked by 
Japanese submarine and aircraft fleets, although fortunately 
resulting in no further casualties to American colonists on the 
islands. Unaware of the attacks on the remote islands of 
Howland, Baker, and Jarvis by the Japanese and distracted by 
the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Navy did not rescue the 
remaining colonists until the beginning of February 1942. The 
colonization project lasted a total of 7 years in which time 
over 130 men volunteered for the project, a significant 
majority of them being native Hawaiians. In July 1943, a 
military base was established on Baker Island and played a 
substantial role in the Tarawa-Makin operation, a significant 
U.S. offensive against the Japanese fleet in the Pacific 
theatre.
    In 1956, the participants of the colonization project 
established an organization to preserve the fellowship of their 
group, naming it ``Hui Panala'au.'' In 1974, the islands of 
Howland, Baker and Jarvis were designated as National Wildlife 
Refuges and are now part of the Pacific Remote Islands Marine 
National Monument. The islands of Canton and Enderbury became 
part of the Republic of Kiribati.
    Concerns have been raised by the author of House Resolution 
169 that the U.S. Government has never formally acknowledged or 
thanked the men or their families for their sacrifices through 
service in the equatorial islands colonization program. With 
only one remaining member of the original Hui Panala'au 
colonists still living, there is some urgency to pass this 
resolution.
    In the 112th Congress, Congresswoman Colleen W. Hanabusa 
(D-HI) introduced a similar resolution (H. Res. 388) that was 
referred to the Committee on Natural Resources. No action was 
taken on the bill. No similar resolution was introduced during 
the 113th Congress.

                            COMMITTEE ACTION

    House Resolution 169 was introduced on March 24, 2015, by 
Congressman Mark Takai (D-HI). The bill was referred to the 
Committee on Natural Resources, and within the Committee to the 
Subcommittee on Indian, Insular and Alaska Native Affairs. On 
June 14, 2016, the Natural Resources Committee met to consider 
the bill. The Subcommittee was discharged by unanimous consent. 
No amendments were offered and the resolution was adopted and 
ordered favorably reported to the House of Representatives by 
unanimous consent on June 15, 2016.

            COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

    Regarding clause 2(b)(1) of Rule X and clause 3(c)(1) of 
Rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the 
Committee on Natural Resources' oversight findings and 
recommendations are reflected in the body of this report.

                    COMPLIANCE WITH HOUSE RULE XIII

    1. Cost of Legislation. Clause 3(d)(1) of rule XIII of the 
Rules of the House of Representatives requires an estimate and 
a comparison by the Committee of the costs which would be 
incurred in carrying out this bill. This resolution 
acknowledges certain accomplishments, recognizes the dedication 
of certain individuals, extends condolences, honors certain 
individuals and extends the appreciation of the House of 
Representatives. Given its nature, this resolution incurs no 
cost on the part of the federal government.
    2. Section 308(a) of Congressional Budget Act. As required 
by clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of 
Representatives and section 308(a) of the Congressional Budget 
Act of 1974, this bill does not contain any new budget 
authority, spending authority, credit authority, or an increase 
or decrease in revenues or tax expenditures.
    3. General Performance Goals and Objectives. As required by 
clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII, the general performance goal or 
objective of this bill is to acknowledge and honor brave young 
men from Hawaii who enabled the United States to establish and 
maintain jurisdiction in remote equatorial islands as prolonged 
conflict in the Pacific lead to World War II.

                           EARMARK STATEMENT

    This bill does not contain any Congressional earmarks, 
limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined 
under clause 9(e), 9(f), and 9(g) of rule XXI of the Rules of 
the House of Representatives.

                    COMPLIANCE WITH PUBLIC LAW 104-4

    This bill contains no unfunded mandates.

                       COMPLIANCE WITH H. RES. 5

    Directed Rule Making. The Chairman does not believe that 
this bill directs any executive branch official to conduct any 
specific rule-making proceedings.
    Duplication of Existing Programs. This bill does not 
establish or reauthorize a program of the federal government 
known to be duplicative of another program. Such program was 
not included in any report from the Government Accountability 
Office to Congress pursuant to section 21 of Public Law 111-139 
or identified in the most recent Catalog of Federal Domestic 
Assistance published pursuant to the Federal Program 
Information Act (Public Law 95-220, as amended by Public Law 
98-169) as relating to other programs.

                PREEMPTION OF STATE, LOCAL OR TRIBAL LAW

    This bill is not intended to preempt any State, local or 
tribal law.

                        CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

    If enacted, this bill would make no changes in existing 
law.

                               [all]