The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1899-12-15
MACRUM'S
HOME COMING
May Mean Protest Against an
Anglo-American Alliance.
INJUSTICE TO THE BOERs.
The Consul's Action May Stamp Him as a
Champion of the Downtroden In
stead of Deserter From
His Post.

His Post.
People of this congressional district
have been especially interested in the
case of Chas. e. Macrum, of East Liver
pool, who was relieved from his posi-
tion as consul to Pretoria, South Africa,
at his own request. In view of the
opportunities presented him by his
position in such crisis to achieve a
reputation out of all proportion to
other consular positions, his voluntary
retirement has seemed strange and
explanations have been many. A
4 special dispatch to yesterdays Gin
\ cinnati Enquirer, from East Liverpool,
gives a resume Of the case and presents
the plausible theory that Macrum's
friendliness to the Beers has impelled
|. him to come home to protest against
the injustice to them of an open, secret
or implied alliance of the United States
, with England and that he was unable
to present the true situation from his
n station, owing to British censorship.
y The Enquirer says:
NFriends in this city of Chas. e.
Mhcrum, United States consul at Pre-
toRia, S. A. r., who has asked and
SECURED leave of absence to return to
this country with important imforma-
was unwilling to risk cabling, believe
that his most recent letters furnish q
clue to his mysterious mission. These
letters conclusively prove that not only
was Macrum not a person non grata
to the Transvaal government but that
he was on the best possible terms with
President Kruger.
'In letter after letter Macrum has
not hesitated to state plainly and
fearlessly that he believed the Beers
We're being forced into an unjust war.
AS an American, his mind revolted at
the coercion about to be applied by the
British. His position on the matter was
well known in both Pretoria and Jo-
hannesburg and was approved by the
American residents there who had not
forgotten that at the time of the jamie
son raid the British had sought to in
veigle them into being participants with
the ultimate object of raising the
British flag over johannesburg and do
ing what is now being done, destroy
ing the existence of the Boer republic.
AMERICAN SYMPATHY.
1.-THE failure of that rising, as all the
world now knows, was directly due to
the refusal of these same Americans to
assist in proclaiming British severe
ignty over the Transvaal, and Macrum
but privately shared and voiced their
private opinions.
when the war broke out Macrum
made every provision to remain at his
post Both his own letters and those of
his wife show this. They laid in six
months provisions, made arrangements
s. for money and wrote home that while
we may have to undergo great hard
ships, none know how great, we in
tend to stay right here and see it all.
When war was declared and Conyng-
ham Greene, the British agent, left Pre-
toria, under direction of his government
and agreeable to the United States, he
handed over the British interests to
Macrum. Macrum was surprised, in
view of his well known opinions, at his
being chosen to take over British in
terests, but obeyed orders. And his so
doing made no difference to the Pre-
toria government, of which he writes:
The government is more friendly than
before, ever since 1 took over the
British interests President Kruger
knew that personally the young Ameri-
can would do what was right.
"Then came the cable news from Lon
don that President Kruger had refused
to permit Macrum as the neutral repre-
funds sent from England for the use of
the British prisoners at Pretoria. The
Washington dispatch that the state de-
\ partment had cabled Macrum to insist
upon this matter followed. Kruger
promptly protested and asked if the
United States was neutral. Washing
ton then issued it's belated neutrality
proclamation and again insisted.
Macrums request for leave of absence
ensued.
REQUEST is SINGULAR.
In view of his letters and those of
his wife, stating positively their in
tention to remain at Pretoria and that
they were in no danger and had plenty
of povisions and money and were never
In better health, this request seems in
eXplicable to their personal friends at
home. The speedy appointment of
Adelbert S. Hay son of the secretary of
state, who is himself a noted Anglo
maniac, and the chorus of qualification
In the London press over the appoint
ment OF successor to a man who had
simply asked and received a leave of
absence seems strange, say Macrum' s
friends.
''Mr. Macrums friends here believe
that on his return he will fully explain
and amply justify his action. They be-
lieve that the story told will be sensa-
tional and that England selected him
despite his personal opinions, simply to
bolster up the Anglo American alliance,
that the alliance has been used, as
everyone knows, to stand off any Euro
pean intervention in behalf of, the
Beers.
"The important state secrets that he
was unwilling to risk cabling and is
bringing in person are from President
Kruger. He could not cable them be-
cause there was no way of sending
them except partly over a line con-
trolled by England. Kruger has asked
Macrum to return to the United States
with an appeal to the president and
congress asking this country If not in
alliance with Great Rritai,, 10 sbo,. a.