Evening star., 1900-02-21
MACRUM'S CHARGES
State Departments Reply to House
Resolution.
Sent BY PRESIDENT TO CONGRESS
No Violation of Sanctity of the
Mails Was Reported.
NO ALLIANCE WITH ENGLAND

NO ALLIANCE WITH ENGLAND
The President today transmitted to Con-
| gress the reply of the State Department
to the House resolution in regard to the
| charges made by Mr.. Macrum IN the news
papers that his official and private mail as
United States consul at Pretoria had been
opened and inspected by the British au-
| thorities in South Africa.
Secretary Hays reply is embodied in a
| letter to the President, as follows:
| To the President:
The undersigned. Secretary of State, to
whom was addressed resolution adopted
| in the House of Representatives on the
| 10Th instant, reading as follows:
| Whereas Charles E. Macrum, late a
| consul of the government of the Unit ed
States at Pretoria, in the Transvaal re-
public. over his own signature, charges
| when this (his) mail was finally forwarded
to me after Col. Stowe the American con-
| sui general at Cape Town, had secured Its
| release l had the humiliation, as the rep
| resentatlve Of the American government
ol sitting in my office in Pretoria and look
| ing upon envelopes bearing the Off
clal seal of the American government
| opened and officially sealed with a sticker
| iiAe tHdl lHe contents mad been
| read by the censor at Durham and
whereas he further states, in the same
article when | accepted my post as con-
su! l knew nothing of any secret alliance
between America and Great Britain:
therefore be it resolved by the House of
Representatives of America that the Sec
rotary OF State is directed to inform the
House of Representatives il the said Chas
r. Macrum, as consul of the American gov
ernment, Informed the State Department
that his official mail had been opened and
read by the British censor at Durham and
If so, what steps, If any, have been taken
in relation thereto.
Sec. = That he is further directed to
INFORM the House of Representatives what
ruin ruin there is In the charge that a secret
alliance exists between the republic of the
United States and the empire of Great
Britain
has the honor to lay before the President
IN! the lolloWlng statement. with view to
us being communicated to the House of
Representatives in answer to the said reso-
luton should the President deem IL not
Incompatible with the public interests so
to do.
Mail Route Was Open.
Answering the first part of the resolution:
me department of State has been in reg
uiar communication by mail and telegraph
with Charles e. Macrum, late consul of the
United States at Pretoria, South African
republic. since his entrance upon the duties
nave been answered, and the execution of
instructions sent has been reported by him.
HIS dispatches to the department. for
Warded through the consulate at laurence
marques, nave during that time been reg
ularly received.
The only instance of complaint in respect
10 the transit of the mails for Lourenco
Marques and Pretoria was in November
last, when a temporary stoppage of the
malls occurred at Cape Town, against which
MI Macfum and the consul at Lourenco
Marques protested. Arrangements were
made for the prompt delivery of the con-
sular mails to the United States consul gem
eral at Cape Town, by whom the mail for
Mr. Hollis and Mr.. Macrum was forwarded
10 Lourenco Marques The delay lasted but
q lew days. and has not required so far as
the department is advised. After that time
the departments mail for Lourenco
Marques and Pretoria was sent by a neu-
tral route. which it appears was known and
open to Mr.. Macrum and Mr. Hollis as
early as November 16 last No obstacle
therefore. is here known to have existed
since then to Mr.. Macrum's unhamnered
correspondence with the Department OF
State.
No Violation of Mails Reported
At no time while at his post did Mr.. Ma
| crum report to the department any instance
OF violation by opening or otherwise of his
official mail by the British censor at Dur
pan, or by any person or persons whatso-
ever there or elsewhere, neither has he so
reported since he left Pretoria although
| having the amplest opportunity to do SO by
mail While on the way home, and in person
when he reported to the department upon
his return.
No Alliance With Great Britain.
Answering the second part of the afore-
said resolution, the undersigned Secretary
OF STATE. has the honor to say that there is
no truth in the charge that a secret alliance
exists between the republic of the United
States and the empire of Great Britain: that
no form of>secret alliance Is possible under
the Constitution of the United States mas
mucn as treaties require the advice and
consent OF the Senate; and, finally that no
secret alllance convention, ARRANGEMENT or
Understanding exists between the United
States and any other nation.
(signeD JOHN HAY.
The Presidents Message.
The Presidents message today, conveying
the report of the Secretary of State in an
swer to the Macrum resolution of the
House of Representatives, gave a cate
gorlcal answer to the questions embodied
in the resolution, and did not refer to the
action of the department in relation to the
matter. 1t has since been given out at the
State Department that inquiries set on foot
Immediately after the publication of Mac
rum first statement developed the fact
that the British government had no knowl-
edge of any interference with the corre-
spondence of the United States consulate at
Pretoria, and the additional fact that if
any such interference had taken place it
was contrary to instructions.