North Park union., 1900-03-02
LETTERS WERE OPENED.
co.sui sf.erum Has Evidence That the
British Censor fAu perod with His Mall.

British Censor fAuipe With HIS Mall.
Denver, Feb. 2O.-The Rocky Noun
tain News this morning prints the fol-
lowing special dispatch from Wash
ington:
Your correspondent to-day had n long
interview with Charles L. Macrum. re-
lieved from the consulate mt PretOria
through the grace of Secretary Hay
and the British government. The writ
or has seen the proof of Macrum's
mair charge, namely, that United
States official mail was opened by the
British censor. Mr. Mncrum had sew
ernl envelopes. each bearing the Brit
isl sticker applied to the envelope af-
ter 1t had been opened by the censor.
He has one envelope which contained
mail matter from Consul General
Stowe at Cape Town. 1t is the regn-
latiOn blue of the consular service. 1t
benrs upon It's face the legend. u. $.
Consular Service" and stamp. Mail
suspended" On the reverse side is the
United States government seal i'm
pressed upon the read sealing wax of
the consular service. The British
sticker, resealing the letter after it had
been opened. bears the potential initials
~. r." the initials of the clerk who
opened the letter. the name of the place
where 1t was opened.
1t will astound Americans to know
that the British authorities are famil
lar with the American consular code.
On November Sth Mr.. Macrum sent u
cablegram In code to the State Depart
ment urgently requesting he bc per-
mitted to come home. Usually cable
grams. because of the difference in
time between South Africa and this
country. consume two days i'll trans
mission-tllat is to say. the cable sent
by Mr. Macrum on October Sth would.
normally. have been received by the
State Department on October 10th.
But. on October 9th. before the cable
gram WINS received by the State De-
partment certainly. and before 1t was
sent from South Africa probably, the
British papers in Natal. hundreds of
miles away. announced in impressive
type that Mr.. Macrum. the American
consul al Pretorn. desired to be per-
mittcd To 20 home.
Mr.. Macrum Is here eager to answer
any and all questions. He will tell
senators and representatives personally
or In committee all about how Amerl-
ca ana American interests have been
regarded by the British government in
South Africa. He is particularly anx-
ious to avoid any charge of partisan
ship. for his sympathies are Rcpubli-
can and his official friends are icpubli-
can.
believing as l did that WIS doing
my country II service by coming holae
for the purpose of making an cxpiana-
tion. did not fortify myself with all
the official records l might have Sc
cured.
My amaZcmcnt may be imagined
when | learned from Assistant Secrc-
tnry Hill officially what | had heard in
Europe unofiicinlly. that had been re-
moved and some one else-the secrc-
tnry's son, ! believe II is-appointcd to
the post had left in American inter-
est only"
Has the State Department asked for
any proof of your chnrgcs!" was asked.
NO. the State Department has asked
nothing" replied Mr.. Macrum. when
l found that l had been removed as II
consular officer. was in much doubt
as to how 1t would be possible for me
to get an official report before the State
doubt that failed to tell Assistant Sec
retnry of State DIR. Hill. whom l es-
teen very highly. the facts of import
ancc ! am ready to relate to any con-
gressional committee that desires to
hear me.
"lf the State Department is making
an investigation, have received no re-
quest TO tell the department anything
l might know"