Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1900-03-28
The nIacrum Incident.

| There exists not the slightest doubt
| that in the issue between eS-Consul
Macrum and Secretary of State Hay
as to the opening of United States
mail by the British censor in South
Africa, the former representative of
| this government at Pretoria has been
amply sustained. And if the actual
admission on the part of Great Britain
is not already in Washington, as re-
lated in yesterdays dispatches, the
| fact that the outrage was committed
has not been disproven either by the
British government or its ally at the
| head of the department. At the out
set of the controversy. the American
premier simply pronounced Macrum's
statements absolutely false, and was
disposed to let them go at that, but
the reported breach of international
courtesy was so fragrant that it would
not down, and if England has been
brought to time, the American people
may thank Macrum for it. If nothing
has been done, the condemnation of
Hay will be the more severe.
In all the history of international
relations, no charge has ever been
made more grave, more vital to ma
tional integrity and national honor
than that which Macrum came home
from Pretoria to prefer. He asserts
that official mail, addressed to him as
consul of the United States at Pre-
toria, and bearing on the envelope the
stamp of the United States department
of state, was opened by the British
censor at Durham, examined and for
warded with an insolent label attest
ing TO the censor's contemptuous dis
regard for the established rules of in
terRational law.
These facts Macrum demonstrated
by producing the envelopes bearing
the censor's stamp.
What is the answer of the Mckinley
administration? An effort to hush
the matter up; to suppress investiga
ton; to conceal and obscure the facts.
Instead of demanding manfully of the
accused nation an explanation of and
an apology for it's wanton and inso-
lent violation of international law
and courtesy, the government at
Washington disavows its own official,
drives him out of the capital with
liar without investigating the evil
uCHSS III his pOSSSSSlOH VI permitting
congress to investigate it.
He is brave official who today, in
the face of the crawling subservience
of the Mckinley administration to
Great Britain, dares to antagonize that
power. The wise and prudent course
for him who desires to hold his Job
was fifty indicated by Consul Ma
crum's successor the son of the Sec
rotary of state, who stopped to pay
his respects at the British foreign
office in London before proceeding to
his post at the capital of state with
which Great Britain is at war. But
this supine and servile attitude of the
must not be permitted
to interfere with the fullest investiga-
tion into the Macrum case, and demo
Gratis in house and senate should agi-
tate increasingly for it.
The Amerit an people want no Brit
ish alliance, express or implied.
The American people sympathize
with the Beers in their struggle for
liberty.
The American people will not sub
NIT to espionage over their official
BY Great Britain or
any other nation.
The American people will repudiate
an administration which has violated |
national self-respect and betrayed ma
tional honor.