The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-02-15

Between Great Britain and the
Less Embarrassed Had He known
of It-Asserts That His Honor Has
Been ImDugned.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 14.-The follow
ing signed statement was given out to-
night by Charles E. Macrum, formerly
United States consul to Pretoria:
1.-THE situation in Pretoria was such
! that: First, L could not remain there
while my government at home was ap-
parently in the dark as to the actual con-
ditionS in South Africa; second, that as
a man and an American L could not re-
main in Pretoria, sacrificing my own self
respect, while the government at home
continued to leave me in the position or
a British consul, and not an American
consul. l want to say right here that
there was not one single request made
of me through the department Of state
looking to the care of British interests in
| Pretoria which l did not fulfill and act
| upon according to my orders. American
interests in South Africa were IN that
condition which demanded that the de-
partment of state should be cognizant
concerning them. L issued the statement
that Americans must remain neutral. In
the face of this Americans were contin-
ually going to the front and taking up
arms in the cause of the Beers. could
not help but know that many of these
We're citizens Of the United States. others
In utter despair at the apparent attitude
of our own government We're taking the
oath of allegiance.
When affairs reached that state that
my vice consul, Mr.. Van Amringen, closed
up his business to take the oath of al
legiance to the Transvaal, and went to
the front as q burgherI l thought the time
had come when / Should make a report
of these conditions. It was over four
weeks from the time the war opened be-
fore received single mail or dispatch
from my government or single private
letter The mail for the Transvaal had
ell been stopped at Cape Town by order
of the high commissioner. When this
mail was finally forwarded to me, after
Capt. Stowe, the consul general at Cape
Town, had secured its release, [ had the
humiliation as American representative of
sitting in my, office and looking upon
envelopes of the United States, officially
stamped, officially sealed with sticker
notifying me that the letters had been
ternational law and failed to find that
any military power has the right to exer-
clse Its judgment of examining the dis
patches of neutral government to its
representative.
MAIL INTERRUPTED.
my mail and dispatches to and from
Europe were continually interrupted by
the action of British men-of-war The
service was over two weeks longer by
way Of the West coast. and there vera
continual rumors that that port Wou1d
be closed and communication with the
outside world entirely cut off The cable
cut off" -' @'''- was "osoiutely
II was privately Informed by the Bel
gian and German consuls at Pretoria
that their official cables in code To their
governments had been refused bv fhe
censor. filed one cable in the interest
of an American in Pretoria, which was
refused absolutely by the censor in Dur
ban: This cable I sent to the fiancee Of
MI Nelson an American business man
IN Pretoria She was. on her way to
South Africa. from Buffalo. N. Y, when
the war broke out. According to all in
formation | could CLEAN, just before the
war commenced she was buying her trous-
seau In Europe The cable requested her
to come by the east coast. When I In
formed Mr. Nelson that the cable had
not been sent, his brother took the oath
Of allegiance to the republic and went to
the front.
''Rut these are simply minor details.
The misrepresentation which had been
going on before the war and after 1t OPEN
ed were of such serious nature and
would require such detailed explanation
that on the 9th day Of November [ filed
cable to the department. in code, stat
der to visit the states 1 set forth in
this cable that my vice consul had en-
listed in the Boer army, that Mr.. At
terbury, an American, who I had known
very favorably for more than a year,
could take charge of the Office until my
return. In reply to this dispatch, which
NtS IOrWdTueu WITHOUT any delay, L re-
ceived from the department a reply ad-
vlsing me that my presence at Pretoria
was important to public interests.
URGING LEAVE OF ABSENCE.
"On the Sth telegraphed again ac-
hnowledging the receipt of the cable
gram, and advising the department that
the situation was not critical, that Mr.
Atterbury was competent and that my
presence in America was important No
reply was received and | wired again
the 1ltl. stating that n l1o5
been received TO this. On the 14th of No
vember | again wired the department
stating that / could not leave without
permission; that ! would forfeit my post
If the reasons which I would make to
the department did not prove satisfac-
tory. This cable was retained by the
censor until Dec 2, when j had advices
that 1t had just been forwarded. On the
18th Of November / again filed a cable,
stating that two of my cables had been
unanswered. and stating that a substi-
tute would answer as q consul during
my absence and requested a reply. To
this I received a reply immediateiy'which
was reiteration Of the reply to my first
cable.
Upon the receipt of this reply, which
was on Dec. Is, l Immediately wrote to
the department accepting the refusal to
grant my leave of absence, and stating
that in that matter l would abide by the
decision Of the department and that
was unable to convey a definite account
pf the conditions there by mail. On Nov.
10 1 received a reply from the depart
ment TO my cablegram OF the 14th, which
had been informed two days previously
had just been forwarded 1t read as
follows:
You may come home. Put Atterbury
temporarily i'll charge. Department will
send mail from here
'qIhis was. signed Hay Thereupon
>cabled the department as follows:
t Sail 18th, by Naples.
STARTS FOR HOME
''This cablegram was sent on the Sth
and. in the meantime I DreDared tn a
few days later [ received telegram from
MIR. Hollis, consul at Deagoa bay, stating
that he had been instructed to come to
Pretoria to take charge of my office DUR
ing my absence, and until a man should
arrive from Washington. Mr. Hollis ar
rived on the 14th Of December, and was
thoroughly posted the duties of the
Office. and I introduced him to the of
ficials of the government and my con-
sular colleagues.
~ left Pretoria on Dec. Is. I went to
cnce there, while waiting for the Ameri-
can lines boat to sail for New York
arrived in Washington Monday, Feb O.
ard met Assistant Secretary of State
Hill who Informed ME that Secretary of
State Hays son had been officially ap-
pojnted In my place. and he was on his
way to Pretoria. l concealed the serious
ness OF conditions in South Africa, to
The extent that on my way to Washing
ton, believing that was still the consul
at Pretoria, refused to make any state.
ment in order not to embarrass the gov
erninent ] reported the situation. II
The department t'9ught the, statements
IF sufficient Importance, expected to be
rar1i1neratad and returned to Pretoria aft