Rocky Ford enterprise., 1900-02-22
LETTERS WE'RE OPENED.
Consui Nsrrum Has Evidence that the
bstttsh Censor Tan psred with III Mail.

bsitish Censor Ta@psr-d with III Mail.
Denver. Feb. a0.-The Rocky Noun
tain News this morning prints the fol-
lowing special dispatch from WASH
ington:
Your correspondent to-day had n long
interview with Charles T.. Macrum. re-
lieved from the consulate at Pretoria
through the Grace OF Secretary Hay
and the British government. The writ
er has seen the proof OF Mncrum's
main charge. namely, that United
States official mail WAS opened by the
British censor. Mr.. Mncrum had sew
eral envelopes. each bearing the Brit
ish sticker applied To the envelope nf-
ter II had been opened by III. censor.
He has one cnvclop" which contained
mail mntter from Consul General
Stowe at Cape Town. II IL the rcgu-
lntion blue OF the consular service. IL
bears upon Its face the legend, u. =.
Consular Service" and u stamp. Mail
suspended" ON the reverse sid. Il the
United States government seal I'M
pressed upon the read scaling wax Of
the consular service. The British
s,ickcr. rcscallng the letter after II had
been opened. bears the potential initials
". IT," the initials OF the clerk who
opened the letter. the name of the place
where II WAS opened.
II will astound Americans to know
that the British authorities ar. famil-
lar with the American consular code.
ON November Sth Mr. MaCrum sent u
| cablcgram In code To I'll. Stat. Depart
mcnt urgently requesting lie Ia per-
mittci To come home. Usually cable
grams. because Of the difference In
time between South Africa and this
country. coEsumc two days In trans
mis-lon-tliat IL to say. the cable sent
by Mr.. Mncrum ON October Sih would.
normally. have been received 10y the
Stat. Department ON October 10th.
But. on October ath. before the cable
Irnm was received 10y the State DE-
parimcnt certainly. and before II was
sent from South Africa probably. III.
British papers In Natal. hundreds OF
miles away. announced In impressive
/ type that Mr.. Macrum. the American
consul at Pretoria. desired to bc per-
mitted TO go home.
Mr.. Macrum Is here eager To answer
any and all questions. lie VIII tell
senators and representatives personally
or In committee all about how Amcrl-
"a and American interests have been
regarded 10y the British government In
South Africa. II" is particularly anx-
ious To avoid any charge Of partisan
ship. FOR his sympathics are Kcpubli.
| can. his political Interests are tcpubli-
ran and his official friends are Hepubli-
can.
believing rs I lid that was doing
my country n service by coming home
for the purpose Of making mn cNplnna-
tion. I did not foriify myself with all
the official records might have Sc
cured.
My nmazcmcni may bc imagined
when learned from Assistant Sccrc-
tary HIN officially what ] had heard In
Europe unoiiicia.ly. that had been re-
moved and some one clsc-thc sccrc-
tary's son. believe II is-appointed TO
the post I had left, In American inter
est only
HAS the State Department asked for
any proof Of your chnrgcs?" was asked.
mo, the State Department has asked
nothing replied Mr.. Macrum. when
| found that had been removed as
consular officer. | was In much doubt
MS to how 1t would he possible for me
to get an official report before the State
| Department. II was because OF THIS
doubt that failed to tell Assistant Sec
rctnry of State Dr. Hill. whom ] cs-
teen very highly. the facts Of import
nncc I am ready to relate To any con-
gressional committee that desires to
hear me.
.lf the State Department Is making
an investigation. | have received no re-
quest TO tell the department anything
| | might know