Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1900-02-22
M'KINLEY MAY RECALL
AMBASSADOR .CH0ATE
May Be Done as Rebuke to England
ifConsul Macrum's Charges
: Are Sustained,
THE MATTER BEING INVESTIGATED
Macrmn's Successor ordered to EN-,
anime consular Mail to Find
Traces ofthe British Cen
sor's Wo,k.

st. Louis. FEB. 20.-The Washington
correspondent of the Republic says:
Ambassador Choate may he recalled
as Il rebuke to Great ,.ritain.
The state department has aban-
doned its contention that eN-Consul
Macrum was guilty of falsehootl when
he declared that United States official
mail had been opened by the British
censor at Durham.
1t has also abandoned its contention
as to Mr.. Macrum's alleged incapacitN
and has come to the conclusion that
the charges made by MIR. Macrum. and
not his personality, constitute he
| question at issue.
| Two otfenses Great Britain may have
committed.
She is known to have committed one
| in the opening of the United States
official mail. for Mr.. Macrlm has the
envelopes with Queen Nictoria's in
itials upon them 10 prove that. This
constitutes fragrant violation of in
ternational usage, and Great Britain
must give an apology.
The second of1ensc is he possible
abstraction of official mail from tho
opened envelopes.
If Great Britain has been guilty of
this, and the state department is will
ing to admit the fact, AN abiect apol-
ogy will be demanded by the state de-
partment. which is now under the
spur of the polite president, and if
the apology is not complete and
prompt the American ambassador,
Mr.. Choate, will be withdrawn from
London.
Ambassadors have been recalled for
less grievous otfenses than the open
! ing of Official mail by friendly gov
i ernment. While to recall Mr.. Choatc
\ would cause the state department
much anguish. republican leaders have
served notice on President Mckinley
that pro-British prime minister in
the cabinet cannot give point and color
to the frequently repeated stories of
am Anglo-American alliance i'm tho
face of an impending presidential
campaign. The president, alarmed at
the storm, agrees with the opinion OF
his advisers.
!. The state department. too, is
b alarmed, and has cabled TO South AT
4 lica for a list of the letters received
by Consul Macrum during the period
when the British censor was breaking
communications.
Young Mr.. Hay will send the NUM-
bers and description of the contents
of each of the letters on file in PIE
toria. and the information thus Sc,
cured will be compared With the rec
ords of the state department..
Copies of the kilograms Mr.. Macrum
sent have also been asked for by the
state department from the Pretori;
consulate, and they will be compared
with the kilograms received by the
state department, the purpose being
to ascertain if the British censor alb
stracted any OF the contents of tho
envelopes he opened, and if he edited
the dispatches Mr. Macrpan- sent to
the state department.
The state departments reversal OF
this matter has been complete. Two
days ago it declared that Mr.. Macrun
had made no complaint about thu
British censor tampering with th
United States official mail. and tina
it did not believe amy official mail hat
been opened by the British censor.
The state department admits nov
that the charges made by Mr.. Macrun
are among the gravest that conl'
be made against friendly nation an.
that due diligence Will be exercised il
preparing case. .''s ~
Two days ago the state depMtmen
declared that the matter .W3'i''l b
ignored. and that newspaper 'storie
would be disrcgarded, in which decis
ion the British embassy cordial
agreed.
Now the state department declare
that as soon as he official invcstiga
tion bears out Mr.. Macrnm's charges
representations would be made TO Z
British government, and the most Sc
rious possible diplomatic construrtio
would be placed. ,fAon The otfense.