The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-02-20
IMR. MACRUM'S CHARGES
HIS OFFICIAL MAIL OPENED AND READ
BY BRITISH AUTHORITIES.
SECRET ALLIANCE WITH ENGLAND
These Statements by cur Former Com
sui at Pretoria Cali Forth 81 Denial
o the state Department AMI a Res
oIution In the House Asking ii . Sec
rotary OF state for Information on
These Matters Macrum Tells WHY
He Resigned the CousuIshIp.

Washington, February I5-The sign
ed statement by former Consul Macrum
representing his reasons for leaving
Pretoria for the United States brought
forth today a statement from the state
department in denial OF certain allega-
tions made by the ~ex-consul and a res
olution of inquiry in the house as 10
certain OF Mr.. Macrum's charges.
The state departments denial relat-
ed chiefly To an assertion that Mr..
Macrum had reported that his mail
mad been tempered with by the British
authorities, while the congressional
inquiry related TO this matter and an
lother charge that an alliance existed
Delween Great Britain and the United
States
Mr.. Macrum had said: 1T was over
four weeks from the time the wal
Opened before | received n single mail
dispatch from by government or a per
Isonal letter. The mail for the Trans
wal had all been stopped at Cape
Town by order of the high commits
sioner. When this mail was finally
Forwarded to me-, after Colonel stowe,
the American consul general at Cape
Town, had secured its release. l had
the humiliation, as the representative
or the American government. OF sitting
in my office in Pretoria and looking
upon envelopes bearing the official seal
of the American opened
and officially sealed with a sticker
notifying me that the contents had
been read by the censor at Durham.
The situation in Pretoria was such
that, first, as an official, | could not
remain there while my government at
home was apparently in the dark as
10 fhl 800
lrlca. Secondly, as a man and citizen
of the United States, | could not re-
main in Pretoria, sacrificing my own
iself-reSpect and that of the people of
Pretoria, while the government at
home continued to leave me in the DO
Isition of a British consul and not an
American consul. l want to say right
here that there was not one single re-
quest made of me through the depart
lment of state looking to the care of
british interests in Pretoria Which
did not fulfill and report upon accord
ing to my orders. On the other hand.
American interests in South Africa
were in that condition which demand
ed that the department of state should
be cogniZant of them.
Il issued the statement received from
the state department that Americans
Unjust remain neutral. In the face of
this, Americans were continually go
ing to the front and taking up arms
in the cause of the Beers. / could not
help but know that many of these
were citizens of the United States. 1
also knew that many of them. in utter
despair at the apparent attitude of
Jour own government, were taking the
oath of allegiance to the TranSvaal re-
public. When affairs had reached that
state that my vice consul, Mr.. Van
lAmeringen, closed up his business.
took the oath of allegiance to the re-
lpublic and went to the front as a
lburgher, l thought the time had come
when 1 should make a repor of these
conditions"
He also charged unreasonable delay
in and supervisor of his cable dis
patches and also of those of the Bel
Igian ard German consuls.
The inferential allegation of an alli-
Iance between the United States and
Great Britain was made in these
words: Il wish to state right here
that when 1 accepted my post as con-
sui l knew nothing of any secret alli-
lance between America and Great Brit
lain and that I had seen nothing in
the regulations which made the con-
sui of the American republic subject
Ito the whimS and caprice of an Eng
Ilisn military censor at Durham"
While the state department was
Iaverse today to discussing the ex-con-
lSurS allegation, it made an authorita-
Tive statement to the effect that a
search of the records of the depart
iment failed to show that Mr.. Macrum
had ever reported to the department
that his official mail was being regu-
llarly tempered with by the British au-
thorit.es. The department said that
he did, in a general way, report that
both official and private mail, intended
for American citizens, did not reach
him punctually and asked that protest
he made on account of this rather ar
Ibitrary proceeding on the part of the
postal authorities. The department
investigated the matter and learned
that no unnecessary delay existed,
and it does not credit the statement
that any correspondence official or 9TH
Ierwise was granddaughter and delay
ed by British authorities.
Regarding Mr.. Macrum's statement
that his vice consul, Mr.. Van Amer
lingen closed up his business, took the
oath of allegiance to h republic and
went to the front as a burgher, the
department aid hat the records show
that when Mr.. Ameringen applied fol
appointment as vice consul at Pretoria
he stated that he was born in Holland;
that his legal residence was at Pretoria,
land that he was a naturalized citizen
of the South African republic. This
Ianplication was dated Pretoria, No
lvember II, 1883.
lucky. introduced the following reso-
Tuition in the house:
whereas Charles E. Macrum late
a consul of the government OF the
limited States at Pretoria in the Trans