The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-03-29

such was the case. he explained that on
| November 9th he had cabled the State
| Department in cipher asking for leave
| Of absence. That message had gone
| through Durham. The next day, November
| 18th. he said he had been informed that
| newspaper at Durham printed the fac.
! that he had asked for leave Of absence
Mr. Smith was proceeding to interrogate
| Mr.. Macrum as to the character Of the
code used by him in this dispatch. espe-
cally as to whether he had used what
was known as the Slater code. COM
mon code purchasable anywhere. Mr..
Hit thought it improper to touch the
matter Of the codes employed by the Gov
ernment but it was finally agreed that
no harm could come fresa a direct reply
as TO whether the Slater code was used.
The message, said Mr.. Macrum, was
sent in the State Department code, the
cipher Of the Slater code
And you claim the substance Of that
dispatch was made public?",s asked Mr..
Smith
II do"
"Where?"
I'm Natal
WAS it an accurate publication
Il do not know"
Mr. Macrum said he had never seen the
publication. He had only been informed
that the fact that he had asked leave of
absence had been printed. He affirmed
that no one knew of this fact save him
self
CIPHER CABLES HELD UP.
Mr.. Macrum stated that he had been
granted leave of absence by Secretary
tn hp
committee a message from the Gable
company saying a cipher cable sent by
him to the Secretary of State, November
14th, had been held up by the military
censor until December End. Asked If
other consuls had suffered any inconven-
fence in the matter of communicating
with their home Governments, Mr.. Ma
crum said they had The Belgian and
German Consuls both told him that no
cipher kilograms were allowed to go
through.
did you report to the State Depart
ment that your mail had been opened?"
asked Mr. Berry, of Kentucky
Il did not.
did you mention it upon your arrival
in Washington ?"
81 did not"
"Why?"
II would prefer not to answer that
question
Mr.. Macrum proceeded to describe an
alleged meeting between President Steyu,
of the Orange Free State and Consul
Stowe, of Cape Town, at which he was
present in which he said Steyn was very
anxious that Stowe should do something
to settle the difficulty which was brew
ing. He said that President Steyn sug
gested an appeal to the President of the
United States, and that Mr.. Stowe
had replied that he would be
glad if some such thing could be done.
And / have reason to believe that the
question was submitted to the President
Of the United States" added Mr. Macrum.
land that he returned an unfavorable re-
ply"
What makes you say that" inquired
Mr.. Hit.
II was told so by Colonel Stowe"
WAS that statement in writing?"
cit was
Have you the letter.
mo it is in the files of the Pretoria
Consulate"
After further questioning, Mr.. Macrum
said he might have copy of the letter;
he could not say positively. subsequently,
he said he thought he could produce it in
short time.
Mr.. Macrum went over the exchange o.
kilograms with the State Department rel
ative to his leave. But as these Were in
the cipher of the Department the commit
tee did not call for them. He stated that
his reason for not making a report 10 the
State Department on the conditions i'll
South Africa was that when he called
en- Assistant Secretary Hill, he sail TO
Mr.. Hill that he understood he had been
relieved. Mr.. Hill responded that TINS
was true. Under such circumstances Mr..
Macrum said he had no report to mai e
to the Department. He endeavored, how
ever, to see the Secretary of State but
was told that Mr.. Hay was out.
After hearing Mr.. Macrum the commit
tee went into executive session. Chair
man Hit presented a letter from Secre-
tary Hay giving in detail the Depart
ment's view of the subject and this was
subsequently made public. The commit
tee took no action as to making re-
port and it was stated by members mat
there was nothing to be done beyond taK-
ing the testimony.