The Atlanta constitution., 1900-04-02
M'K|NLEY DID NOT
FAVOR PEACE IDEA
Macrum Dee, (,ares the Gov
ernment FAtIy Refused
To IIeerfere.
ENGLISH XIV OUR CODE
This and Other Charges Were Made
by Macrum-His Principal As
sertion Tat Mckinley
Was App A.led to and
Refuse Action.
By Jos: Oil.


nony given ty eN-Consul Macrum N Pre-
foreign affairs TO-DAY. aud that is some
thing which Secretary Hays letter of ex-
planatton does not seem to make clear.
The former consul proved a very disap-
pointing sensationa!ist I'm most of his
statements but he Is explicit enough in
lis declaration that thirty days before the
outbreak of hCstilities President Steyn. OF
the Orange Free state, was in conference
with Consul General stowe. of Cape
Town. the ranking American consular
representative in South Africa. and that
he urged Stowe to induce his government
70 take steps toward preventing an out
break of hostilitics. Stowe reported 20
Macrum that he had presented the matter
to the government at Washington, but
that he had been informed by Secretary
Hay that the government refused to take
steps cn the line suggested. II this IS
true, IL was n refusal on the part of the
administration TO take peace steps at
time when there was a chance to prevent
Joe ChambcrlainS war.
Charles T.. Macrun told of the alleged
irdignitles he suffered at the hands of the
British during his incumbency When he
gave ont his statement here some weeks
ago declaring his official mail had been
Cpened by British on calS. Representative
Wheeler, OF Kentucky. introduced a reso-
luton for an investigation. 1t was subSc-
quently arranged that the foreign affairs
committee should take the matter UP of
its own motion. without any direction
from the house. and Mr.. Macrum was
summoned to Washington TO testify.
Mr. Macrum is a slight man about thirty
years of age. He was asked by Chairman
Hit to make such a statement as he saw
fit regarding the opening of his mail by
the British censor.
British Knew the Cipher.
He explain ed that when he asked for II
leave of absence he desired to come home
Tor private business reasons. and also
because he desired TO place before thc
United States government certain facts
which he deemed it essential should be
known here. lie understood. he said, that
the British had possession of cur cable
cipher. He was not certain of this. but he
had since had Information which con
WINGED him that his suspicious Were cor
rect.
lie also desired information as 20 his
course when the settlement came at the
end of the war Further. he had petit
tion from some American residents in the
Transvaal asking that the United States
maintain absolute neutrality which he
wanted TO pres ent to the state department.
The petition he read to the committee. II
was signed by Gordon. the consular agent
at Johannesburg.
Asked as to when he was first satisfied
that his rTail was being tempered with. he
said that war was declared October 12th.
He did not receive any mail between that
date and the second Week In November.
Ordinarily. he had a bcX of mail every
week.
Did other people receive mail during
that PERIOD" asked Mr.. Williams. "a
Not that | know Of" replied Mr..
He Opened Letters.
Pressed for specific information as 10
how he got the intimation that the Brit
iah were opening and delaying his mail
he replied that when mis- mail did not ar
rive he telegraphed our consul at Lou
renzo Marques requesting him to inquire
of cape Town why it was being delayed.
The consul at Lourcnzo Marques replied
that he also had had no mail. Mr.. Ma
crum said the delav of his mail created
conviction in his mind that the British au-
thor.ties were responsible. The first ac-
tual evidence ne had was the receipt oil
two opened Iotters. He produced the en-
yc!opes which. he said. contained those
letters. one was from a private citizen
addressed To the United States consul
at Pretoria and the other was to him by
name from Consul Stowe at Cape Town.
Mr.. William Alden smith, of Michigan,
:n.crrogatcd the witness sharply on the
reasons for stating his belief that the
British authorities had possession of the
state departments cipher. Mr.. Macrum
said he could not affirm that fact from ac-
;ual knowledge, bGt there We're certain
facts which convinced him that such was
the case lie explained that on November
6th he had cabied tine state department.
i'm cipher asking for "A leave of absence.
The message had gone through Durham.
The next dav, November 9Th, he said, he
had been informed newspaper at Dur
ban printed the fact that he had askeI
for leave Of absence
Hays Letter of Explanation.
Chairman Hit presented a letter from
Secretary Hay giving in detail the de-
partment's view of the subject and this
was subsequently made public The COM
mittee took no action as to making a
report and it was stated by members that
there was nothing TO be done beyond tax
ing the testimony. Secretary Hays let
ter giving the official view of the case is
as follows:
washington. March ~. 1900. lion. H.
r. Hit Chairman Committee ON For
eign Affairs, House of Representa- tives-
Sir: In response to your inquiries OF
this morning, | have the honor 70 report
consul of the United States at Pretoria,
has made no representations TO this de-
partment in regard to the opening of his
mail by the British authorities.
although without any Information. en-
cept the allegations of Mr. Macrum to
which "A reference was made in a reso-
luton of the house of representatives.,
making certain inquiries of this depart
ment | mentioned the matter to the
british ambassador who made inquiry in
regard to IL of the British government
and was Informed in return that the Brit
ish government were not aware of any
such incident having; taken place, but If
anythirg of the sort had occurred IL was
contrary to the instructions of that gov
ernment | received no further informa-
tion i'm regard to the matter until the
21st of this month when this government
was Informed by a dispatch from Mr. j.
q stowe, consul general of the United
states at Cape Town, that Two letters
from this consulate, one To Pretoria and
one TO Lourenzo Marquee, were opened
nv the censor at Durham" Upon notice
of this ] called upon the high commits
sioner who wired Durham. and VERY |
satisfactory apology was returned. This |
is all the information possessed by this /
i'm regard to the incident.
Suggestions of Mediation.
''In reference to certain allegations rs |
TO our consuls in South Africa having
been approached with suggestions of me-
diation / have the honor to reply that IN |
a dispatch of the Sd of October received /
at this department on the 9Th of Novem-
Der. and the only one on our file relating