The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1900-03-31
Che macfulG1
Investigation

Macrum of East Liverpool, O., the
American ex-consul at Pretoria, ap-
peared before the house foreign affairs
committee today, and told of the alleg-
| ed indignities he suffered at the hands
! of the British during his incumbency
! When he gave out his statement here
| some weeks ago, declaring that his OF
! fetal mail had been opened by British
| officials. Representative Wheeler OF
Kentucky introduced a resolution for
an investigation. II was subsequently
arranged that the foreign affairs com
mittee should take the matter up of It's
own motion, without any direction from
the house, and Mr.. Macrum was sum-
moned to Washington to testify.
There were many visitors in the COM
mittee room when Chairman Hit call
ed the committee to order. Mr.. Ma
crum was asked by Chairman Hit to
make such statements as he saw MT
regarding the opening of MS mail by the
British censor.
In opening, Mr. MacTum recalled the
statement he had made some time ago
to the Associated Press. The state
ment, he said, practically embodied all
he had to say. He explained that when
he asked for a leave OF absence he de-
sired to come home for private business
place before the United States govern
ment ertain facts which he deemed 1t
essential should be known here.
He understood, he said, that the Brit
ish had possession Of our cable cipher.
He was not certain Of this, but he had
since had information which convinced
him that his suspicious were correct
He also desired information as to his
course when the settlement came at the
end of the war
Further he had a petition from some
American residents in 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. 1t
was signed by Gordon, the consular
agent at johannesburg.
Asked as to when he was first salts
fed that his mail was being tempered
with he said that war was declared
Oct T. He did not receive any mail
between that date and the second week
in November. Ordinarily lie had box
Of mail every week.
Did other people receive mail dur
ing that period?" asked Mr.. Williams
of Mississippi.
mot that I know Of" replied Mr. Ma
crum.
Pressed for specific information as to
how he got the intimation that the
British were opening and delaying his
mail. ne stated that when his mail did
not come ne teleEraphed our consul at
LourenZo Marquee, requesting him to
inquire Of Cape Town why it was being
delayed.
The consul at LouTenzo MARQUEE re-
piled that he also had received no mail
Mr.. Macrum said the delay Of his mail
created a conviction in his mind that
the British authorities were resp onsible.
The first actual evidence he had was
the receipt of two opened letters. He
produced the envelopes which. he said,
contained those letters. One was from
a private citizen, addressed to the Unit
ed States consul at Pretoria, and the
other was to him by name, from Consul
Stowe at Cape Town.
Mr.. William Alden Smith Of Michigan
the witness sharply on the
reasons for stating his belief that the
British authorities had possession of
the state departments cipher code.
Mr.. Macrum said he could not affirm
that fact from actual knowledge, but
there were certain facts which con-
WINGED him that such was the case. He
that on Nov. he had cabled
the state department in cipher ask
ing for a leave of absence That mes
sage had gone through Durham The
next day, Nov. Z. he said, he had been
informed a newspaper at Durham
printed the fact that he had asked for
leave of absence.
Mr.. Smith was proceeding to inter
rogate Mr.. NacTum as to the character
Of the code used by him in this dis
patch, especially as to whether he had
used what was known as the Slater
code, a common code purchaseable
anywhere.
Mr.. Hit thought it improper to touch
the matter of the codes employed by
the government. but it 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 substance Of that !
dispatch was made public?" asked Mr. |
Smith.
Il do"
"Where?"
''In Natal"
WAS it an accurate publications."
Il do not know"
Mr. Macrum said he had never seen
The publication. He had only been in |
cave of absence had been printed. He |
affirmed that no one knew of this fact |
save himself.
At this point Mr. Howard of Georgia |
to question the utility of |
he examination of Mr.. Macrum.
1T looks to me-" said he, like an |
effort to concoct a sensation out of |
lothing"
But the committee decided to proceed,
ANER