The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-03-28

mail, he replied that when his mail did
not arrive he telegraphed our consul at
Lorenzo Marques requesting him to in
quire Of Cape Town why it was being
delayed.
The consul at Lorenzo Marques re-
piled that he also had received no mail.
Mr.. Macrun1 said the delay of his mail
created a conviction in his mind that
the British authorities were responsible
The first actual evidence he had was
the receipt of two opened letters. He
produced the envelopes which ne said
contained those letters. One was from
a private citizen addressed to the Z. s.
consul at Pretoria. and the other was
to him by name, from Consul Stowe at
Cape Town
Mr.. William Alden Smith of Michigan
interrogated the witness sharply on the
reasons for stating his belief that the
British authorities had possession of the
state departments cipher.
Mr.. Maerum said he did not affirm
that fact from actual knowledge but
there were certain facts which con-
WINGED him that such was the case. He
explained that on November g. he had
cabled the state department in cipher
asking for a leave Of absence That
message had gone through Durham. The
next day, November 7, he said, he had
been informed a newspaper at Durham
printed that he had asked for leave Of
absence
Mr. Smith was proceeding to interro-
gate Mr.. A1acrum as to the character
of the code used by him IN this dispatch,
especially as to whether he had used
what was known as the Slater code, a
common code purchasabIe anywhere.
Mr.. Hit thought it improper TO touch
the matter of the codes employed by
the government, but il was finally
agreed that no harm could come from a
direct reply as to whether the Slater
code was used
The message" said Mr. Macrum
was sent in the state department
cipher of the Slater CODE
And you claim the dispatch was
made pub1ic2" asked Mr.. Smith
''Where?''
I'm Natal"
WAS it an accurate publication"
It do not know"
Mr.. Macrum said he had never seen
the publication. He had only been in
formed that the fact that he had asked
leave Of absence had been printed He
affirmed that no one knew of this fact
save himself.
At this point Mr.. Howard. Of Georgia,
interposed to question the utility of the
examination of Mr.. Maerun- 1T looks
TO me" said he, like an effort to
create a sensation out of nothing" But
the committee decided to proceed and
in reply to some questions from Mr..
BurIeon. Mr.. Macrum stated that he
had been granted leave Of absence BY
Secretary Hay on November Is.
He read TO the committee a message
from the cable company saying a cipher
cable filed by him had been held UP
by the military censor until December
2 Asked If the other conSuls suffered
any Inconvenience, Mr. Macrum said
they had The Belgian and German
consuIs both told him that no cipher
tsIegrams were allowed to go through
Did you report that your mail had
been opened, asked Mr.. Berry.
II did not
Did you mention it upon your arri-
val in Washington
II did not"
"Why2''
1T would prefer not to answer that
question: This reply raised a general
laugh IN the room. Mr. Adams Of Penn
syIvania proceeded to cross question
Mr. Maerum rather severely upon the
duty Of a consul to remain at his post
during complications
Mr. Macrum described an alleged
meeting between President Steyn Of the
Orange Free tSate and Consul Stowe OF