Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-02-15
MACRUM TALKS.
Explains Why He Came Home
from Beers Capital.
Charges Sec. Hay With Discreditire
Reports Of His Official Acts.
Hints at a Mysterious and Secret Alliance
With Great Britain.

Washington. Feb. IA statement
mcnt WIS given out, tonight, hy
! Charles L. Macrum. formerly United
! States consul To Pretoria. In sub
| stance il says:
The situation in Pretoria was such
| that az an official | could not remain
| there while my government was up-
parcntly in the dark as to the exact
| condition in South Africa. As a man
and citizen of the United States | could
not remain in Pretoria. sacrificing my
own srlf-rcSpect ana that Of the peo-
| PIE Of Pretoria, while the government
| at home continued to leave me in the
position of a British consul and not
an American consul. There was not
| one request made of me through the
department Of state looking to the care
Of British interests in Pretoria which
| did not fulfill. on the other hand.
American interests in South Africa
WCr" in that condition which demand
ed that the department of state should
be cognizant of them.
II issued the statement received
from the state department that Amer
leans must remain neutral. In the
! face Of this Americans were continual
| " going to the front and taking up
arms in the cause "f the Beers. Many
! of these were citizens of the United
| States Many Of them in despair at
the apparent attitude Of our govern
| mpnt were taking the oath of allrgi-
ancr to the TransVall. When my vice
| CONSUL. Mr. Van AmcrigcE, took the
| oath of allegiance t. the republic and
went to the front thought the tim"
| had come when l should make Il re-
port Of these conditions.
FIT Was over four weeks from the
time the war opened hrfrr" | received
4 single mail dispatch from my SOY
crnmcnt or a personal letter. The mail
for the Transvaal had been all stop
ped at Capa Town by order OF the high
| commissioner. When this mail WIS
| finally forwarded tp me after Cnl.
| stowe. the vice consul at cape Town
| hud secured its release, | hId tine hui
| initiation as the representative Of the
| American government of looking up
! envelopes Bearing the official seal of
| the American government opened and
| officially sealed with a stickor, notify
| ing bill" that the contents hul deem reed
| IN thu censor lit Durham.
The mail service from pclaGna E1N
| to Europe, was continually Interrupted
! hv the action Of British mcu-"f-War
! and there were rUmurS that that port
| would b. closed ANA communication
with tho outside world entirely cut NH.
| The ,.thl. service fur ihr Trau~vIll
| nls absolutely cut uif. | was inform
: "a ~ the l;ylgian ana German c"n@ulS
at Pretoria that their official cables in
| code tp their government had been r.
! fused by the censor. | filed on" cahl"
| III I'M. interest If an American AT Pr
| toria which WAS rrfu 4yG IN thr CEN
| WV i'll DUrE ln. This cable was tr tine
! flmc,c Of Mi. Nelson, an American
! business man in Pretoria. she Was on
! her WAY to South Africa and tn" c&bl"
requested her to com" t. the cast
coast. When | informed Mr.. Nelson
that the cable had not been sent. mis-
brother took thu cIth of all, glance
w the republic ana went to Tho front.
! The miSrtpr. Scntlti pnS which had
been going on before the war and al
| ter it opened were of such serious
nature and would require such detail
"a explanation that. On NOV. tth, !
! filed Il cable to the department Pr
code. stating that ] wished leave ~
absence in order to visit the states l
set forth that my vice consul had en-
| listed in the Eocr army: that Mr.. At
! trrbury. an American, Whom had
| known favorahly for more than year,
could take charge IF tn" office until
nv return. | received fl m the d"-
partmcnt reply advising me that my
presence ut Pretoria was important To
! public interests.
! ION the Gth. | teleEraphcd. advising
| the department that my presence IN
| America was Important. NJ reply was
received ana wired again, IN the llth,
ana again urged 4 favorable reply. ~"
| reply was received to this. ON Nov.
IA. | again wired he Department. stat
| ing that | could not leave without per
mission: that | would forfeit my post
If the reason which | would make to
the department did not prove satlsfac-
tory. This cable was delayed by the
censor. until Dec. ,.
con Nov. IS l again filed Il cable. |
received a reply Immediately, which
was reiteration of the reply to my first
! cable. | Immediately wrote To thc de-
partment accepting the refusal to grant
my leave and stating that | would at
+empt to convey an intelligent idea for
| the departments guidance of the con-
December 4. | received reply from
the department to my cablegram of the
18th. 1t read as follows:
You may CONE home. Put After
bury temporarily in charge. Depart
mcnt Will send man from here
This was signed Hay ThercupoA
I cabled the department as follows;
Sail 18th by Naples.
\ few days later, I received tele-
gram from Hollis. consul at Delagoa
bay stating that he had been instruct