Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-02-15

mad Deem opened and read Dy the Brit
! ism censor at Durham; also in regard to
the secret alliance between the United
States and Great Britain. The resolu-
tion was referred to the foreign rela-
tions committee.
Mncrum,s statement.
I Washington, Feb. 15-Following is
] the text of the statement given out by
Charles Z. Macrum and made public to-
day:
The situation in Pretoria was such
that. first, as an official, / could not re-
4 main there while my government at
home was apparently in the dark as to
the exact conditions in South Africa;
| second, as a man and citizen of the
1 United States / could not remain in
i Pretoria, sacrificing my own self
respect and that of the people of Pre-
toria while the government at home
continued to leave me In the position OF
a British consul and not an American
] consul.
i want to say right here that there
was not one single request made of me
sl thru the department of state looking to
the care of British interests in Pretoria
s which l did not fulfill and report upon
Il according to my orders. On the other
& hand, American interests in South At
riea We're in that condition which de-
manded that the department. Of state
Should oe cosnizant of them
- issued the statement received from
the state department that Americans
must remain neutral. In the face of
this. Americans We're continually going
10 the front and taking up arms n the
/ cause of the Beers. I could not help
i but know that many of these We're citl-
I zens of the United States. / also knew
g that many of them, in utter despair at
t the apparent attitude of our own gov
o eynmenI. were taking the oath of alle-t
5. gianceto the Transvaal Republic
e When affairs had reached the stated
'that my Vice consul. Mr.. Van Amerin-
gen. closed up his business. took the
E cath of allegiance to the republic and
: lsweft to the front as a burshei' /
thought the time had come when
should make a report of these condi-
) tions.
1T was over four weeks from the
!, time the war opened before ! received :
!, single mail dispatch from my govern
naesftF or a personal letter. The mail for
/ the Transvaal had all beer stopped at
I'll Cape Town by order OF the higf COM
-lnlissioner. When this mail was finally
: Forwarded to nle after Col. Stowe, the
Y consul general at Cape Town. had Sc
= cured its release. had the humiliation,
as she representative of the American
5 government. OF sitting in my office in
q Pretoria and looking upon envelopes |
bearing. the official seal OF the American
II gov erl,llent opened and officially sealed
It with sticlSer notifying me that the
e contents had been read by the censor a
q Durham. 1 looked up international law
le but failed to find anywhere that on
is military power can use it's own discre
tion as to Forwarding the official dis
II patches OF a neutral government to 1t |
If representative in a besieged country.
J. THE mail service from Delagoa ba
re TO Europe was continually interrupte
II Hby the acton of British men-of-war
re- shat port The service was over tw |
Of. weeks longer than by the west coast
al and there we're continual rumors tha
IS that port would be closed and commu
IS nicaton with the outside world entirel
q cut off
ie aThe cable service for the Transvaa
rs was absolutely cut off. / was 5privatel
y Informed by the Belgian and Germa
ae conslils a. Pretoria that their officis
70 cables III code 10 their governments ha
Id been refused by the censor. / filed on
I
II Pretoria which WAS refused absolutely
Z bv the censor IN Durham. This cable I
fe sent 10 the fiancee of a Mr.. Nelson. an
oi American business man in Pretoria.
iS She MAS on her way to South Africa
NJ from Buffalo, n. V. when the wal
ne broke out. According to a. letter which
OF MIR Nelson received Just before the war
ne commenced she was buying her trous-
sal seau III Europe The cable requested
tre her TO come by the east coast. When
ne Informed Mr.. Nelson that the cable ha !
not been sent his brother took the oa'
eW of allegiance to the republic and wei
ial 10 the front.
rHl .But these are simply minor details
oi- The Misrepresentation which had beeI
going on before the war and after
Opened were of such a serious natur
and would require such detailed expl |
S. nation, that on the 9Th of November
es- filed a cable to the department. in coz
lng stating that | wished leave of absence
I've ore,s,. 10 visit the states l set forth
lng this cable that my vice consul had en-
ON listed in the Boer army; that Mr.. A Il
on terbury. an American, whom h9
am known favorably for more than yea,
A could take charge of the office until N
Gus return In reply to this dispatch. whic|
was forwarded without any delay, ! n
lceived from the department. reply al
vising me that my presence at Pretorl
're- WAS important to public interests.
ana "On the sth / teegraphed again
Ash knowledging the receipt Of the cable
sire advising the department that the situ1
~ ion was not critical; that Mr. Ats
ter hurry was competent; that my presei |
one in America was important. No rel
req. was received and l wired again on
and -----------
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