Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1900-02-17

Act Has Departed From he Strict
est Neutrality.
Washington, Feb. Is. - Charles E.
Macrum, formerly consul to Pretoria,
quit his post because of insults and
humiliations, according to a state ment
given out by him last night He says:
The situation in Pretoria was such
that as an official, could not remain
there while my government was ap-
parently in the dark as to the exact con-
ditions in South Africa. I could not
remain in Pretoria. sacrificing my own
self-respect and that Of the people Of
Pretoria, while the government at home
continued to leave me in the position of
a British consul, and not an Ameri, a l
consul. There was not one request
made Of me through the department of
state looking to the care Of British in
terests in Pretoria which did not full
fill. On the other hand, American in
terests in South Africa We're in that
condition which demanded that the de-
partment of state should be cognizant
of them.
Il issued the statement that Americans
must remain neutral. In the face OF
this. Americans were continually going
to the front and taking up arms in the
cause Of the Beers. Many of these were
citizens of the United States. Many
of them We're taking the oath Of al
legiance to the Transvaal. When my
vice consul. Mr. Van Ameringen. took
the oath of alle glance to the republic
and went to the front. I thought the
time had come when should make a re-
port of these conditions.
1t was over four weeks from the
time the war opened before I received
a single mail dispatch from my gov
ernment or a personal letter The mail
for the Transvaal had been all stopped
at Cape Town. When this mail was
finally forwarded to me. I had the hu-
initiation, as the representative of the
United States government. of looking
upon envelopes bearing the official seal
of the American government opened and
| officially sealed with sticker, notifying
me that the contents had been read by
the censor at Durham.
1.-THE misrepresentation which had
been going on before the war and after
1t opened were of such q serious nature
| and would require such detailed ex-
PLANTATION that. on Nov. l filed cable
to the department in code. stating that
wished leave of absence in order to
visit the states. set forth that my
vice consul had enlisted in the Boer
a rrpv that Mr. Attarh,rv an A,,ari,op ~
whom had known favorably for more
than year. could take charge of the
! office until my return. | received from
the department reply advising me that
my presence at Pretoria was important
to public interests. wired again on
the 1lth and again urged favorable
reply. No reply was received to this.
On Nov. IA 1 again wired the depart.
| ment. stating that I could not leave
without permission, that would forfeit
my post If the reasons which 1 would
make to the department did not prove
satisfactory. This cable was delayed
| by the censor until Dec. 2.
ION Nov. IS l again filed a cable.
| received a reply Immediately. which
| was a reiteration Of the reply to my
first cable. Immediately wrote to the
department accepting the refusal to
grant my leave, and stating that would
attempt to convey an intelligent idea
| for the departments guidance of the
conditions there In mail dispatches
Dec. ! received reply form the
| state department to my cablegram Of
the 14th. 1t read as follows: "You
may come home. Put Atterbury tenn
porarily in charge. Department will
| send man from here"
| A few days later I received a letter
from Hills consul at Delagoa Bay.
stating that he had been instructed to
come to Pretoria to take charge of my
office until a man should arrive from
| Washington. Mr.. Hills arrived on
Dec. IA. and was thoroughly posted in
the routine of the office. left Pretoria
| Dec. 16. I arrived in Washington on
Feb. 5. and reported to Assistant Sec
retary of State Hill, who officially in
| formed me that Secretary Hays son had
been appointed in my place.
l appreciated the seriousness of the
that on my way to Washington, bcliev-
ing that l was still the consul at Pre-
toria, refused to make any statement
! that would in any way involve the de-
partment or embarrass 1t. My one OBJ
ject was to lay the information before
the department as to the true state of
| affairs in South Africa. If the de-
partnent thought these facts were of
a value sufficient to warrant the ex-
penses Of the trip 1 had taken l ex-
pected to be remunerated and returned
| to Pretoria. Instead of thia I find
Secretary Hay saw MT not to wait until
could present my reasons in person,
| end has been a silent and conniving
partner to discrediting reports Of my
official acts. find an attempt has been
| made to tear down my personal reputa
ton. When accepted my post as con-
sui knew nothing of any secret al
lance between America and Great Brit
] ian, and had seen nothing in the regu-
lations which made the consul Of the
American republic subject to the whims
md caprice Of an English military CEN
sor at Durham.
| There Is not one soul who can point
| to a single official act o" mine W hich de-
parted from the strictest neutrality. My
confidential dispatches to the depart
ment contained informa tion which will
show my sympathy for the republic,
| but which will prove to be unbiased as
to actual facts.
Ny acts now as a private man can in
no way involve the public service. and I
simply make this statement in my own
defense, as against those which have
come from the department, secretly and
officially.
Known by Old and Young.