The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-03-29
REITERATES
HIS CHARGES.
MaCrum Appears Before Foreign
Affairs Committee.
SEARCHING QUESTIONS ASKED.
Former Consul Admits He Made No Report
10 State Department
OF THE OPENING OF OFFICIAL MAIL
Ncr DID Rs Msks Complaint Of Detention Of Mail
at DuIban Committee Took No AOJ0a R.
gsraing Making Of a Report.
Former Consul Admits He Made No Report
10 State Department
OF THE OPENING OF OFFICIAL MAIL

Washington, March 29.-Charles l..
Macrum, the ex-conshl at Pretoria, ap-
peared before the House foreign af-
fairs committee yesterday. When he
gave out his statement re some
weeks ago. declaring that his official
mail had been opened by British off,
cials, Mr.. Macrum was summoned 10
Washington 10 testify. In opening Mr..
Macrum recalled the statement he had
made some time ago 10 the Associated
Press. That statement he said, prac-
tically embodied all he had to say. lie
explained that when he asked for
leave Of absence he desired to come
home for private business reasons. and
aiso because he desired TO place before
the United States government certain
facts which he deemed IL essential
should be known here. He understood
that the British had possession Of our
cable cipher. He was not certain of
this, but he had since had information
which convinced him that his suspi-
cions were correct. He also desired
information as 20 his course when the
settlement came at the end of the war.
Further he had a petition from some
American residents i'm the Transvaal
asking that the United States maintain
absolute neutrality which he wanted
to present TO the state department.
The petition he read TO the committee.
II was signed by Gordon. the consular
agent at Johannesberg. Asked as %
when he was first satisfied that his
mail wa being tampered with. he said
that war was declared oct. l.. He did
not receive any mail between that date
and the second week in November. Or
dinarily he mad box Of mail every
week
Did other people receive mail dur
ing that period|' asked Mr. Williams
of Mississippi.
Not that know Of" replied Mr.
Macrum
AN EXPLANATION.
Pressed for specific information as to
how he got the intimation that the
British were opening and delaying his
mail, he replied that when his mail did
not arrive he telegraphed our consul
at Lorenzo Marques requesting him TO
inquire Of Cape Town why Il was being
delayed. The consul at Lorenzo Mar
ques replied that he also had had no
mail.
Mr. Macrum said the delay OF his
mail created conviction I'm his mind
that the British authorities were re-
sponsible. The first actual evidence he
ters. He produced the envelopes which
he said contained those letters One
was from private citizen addressed
10 the United States consul at Pre-
toria, and the other was from Consul
Stowe at Cape Town
William Alden Smith OF Michigan in
terrogated the witness sharply on the
reasons for stating his belief that the
British authorities had possession Of
the state department. cipher
THE QUESTION OF CIPHER.
Mr.. Macrum said he could not affirm
that fact from actual knowledge, but
there were certain facts which con-
vinced him that such was the case He
explained that on Nov. he had cabled
the state department I'm cipher asking
for leave of absence. That message
had gone through Durham The next
day, Nov . he said he had been in
formed newspaper at Durham printed
the fact that he had asked for leave OF
absence.
Mr.. Smith interrogated Mr.. Macrum
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. purchasable anywhere.
The message" said Mr. Macrum.
was sent in the state department
cipher of the Slater code"
And you claim the substance OF that
dispatch was made public?' asked Mr..
Smith.
"I do"
"Where? ?"
I'm Natal.
Was 1t an accurate publication"
81 do not know"
Mr.. Macrum said he had never seen
the publication. lie had only been m
formed that the fact that he had asked
leave OF absence had been printed lie
affirmed that no one knew Of this fact
save himself.
Mr.. Macrum stated that he mad been
granted leave OF absence bv Secretary
Hay on Nov %. He read to tha COM
mstee n message from the cable com
pany. saying q cipher cable sent by him
20 the secretary Of state Nov. II had
been held mp by the military censor IN
til Dec. 2. Asked IN other cousuls had
suffered any Inconvenience IN the mat
ter OF communicating with their home