Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-03-28
sx-consuI Macrdm Makes State
meut to House Committee,
SERIOUS CHARGES IN 1T.
Gays British opened His Mail, and
Also 4 assessed American
Cable Cipher
Afternoon plspaichos.l

! Macrum OF East Liverpool, OhlO the
American ex-consul az Pretoria. APP
peared before the House foreign affairs
committee today and told Of the al
legged indignltles he suffered at the
hands Of the British during his incum-
bency.
When he gave out his statement here
some weeks ago. declaring that his off,
cial mail had been opened by British
officials. Representative Wheeler OF
Kentucky introduced a resolution for
an investigation. II was Subsequent
~ arranged that the foreign afois
committee should take the matter up Of
its own motion, without any direction
from the House, and Nj Macrum was
summoned to Washington 10 testify.
There were many visitors In the COM
mittee room when Chairman Hit called
the committee TO order Mr.. Macrum
was asked by Chairman Hit 10 make
such statement as he saw NJ regarding
the opening Of his mail by the British
censor. In opening, Mr. Macrum re-
called the statement he had made some
time ago 10 the Associated Press The
statement, he said practically embodied
all he had TO say. He explained that
when he asked for q leave Of absence
he desired TO come home for private
business reasons and also because he
desired TO place before the United
States government certain facts which
he deemed II essential should be known
here. He understood, he said. that the
British 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 petition from some
American residents in the Transvaai.
asking that the United States maintain
absolute neutrality. which he wanted
10 present TO the state department. The
petition he read to che committee. II
was signed by Gordon. the consular
agent az Johannesoafe Asked as TO
when he was fifsi sst'fis6ed that his
mail was being ,aaipefed with. he
said that war was declared October u.
He did not receive any mail between
that date and The second week I'm Mo-
vember. Ordinarily he had box Of
mail every week.
ibid other people receive mail during
that periodY" asked Mr., Williams. OF
Mississippi.
Not that know Of" replied Mr..
Macrum.
Pressed for specific information as to
how he got the intimation that the
British were opening and delaying his
mail. he stated that when his mail did
not come he telegraphed our consul at
LOurenzo Marques, requesting him 10
inquire OF Capetown why II was being
delayed. The consul at Lougenzo Mar
ques replied 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
responsible. The first actual evidence he
had was the receipt OF two opened let
tiers. He produced the envelopes which
he said contained those letters. One
was from a private citizen addressed
10 the United States consul at Pre-
toria and the other was TO him by
name, from Consul Stowe at Capetown
Mr., William Alden Smith OF Mlchi-
gan. Intercepted the witness sharply
on the reasons for stating h,s belief
that the British authorities ha. posses
sion Of the state departments cipher
code.
Mr.. Maerum 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
explained that on November 6. he had
cabled the state department In cipher,
asking for leave OF absence. The mes
sage had gone through Durham. The
next day, Nov. Z. he said. ne had been
Informed newspaper at Durham print.
ed the fact that he had asked for
leave OF absence.
Mr.. Smith was proceeding to inter-
rogate Mr.. Macrum as TO the character
Of the code used Boy him In this dis.
patch. especially as 10 whether he had
used what was known As the Slater
code" a common code purchasable
anywhere. Mr.. Hit thought IL inn
proper TO touch the matter OF the
codes employed by the government. but
II was finally agreed that no harm could
come from direct reply as to whether
the Slater code was used.
THE message said Mr.. Macrum
was sent in the state department ci-
pher Of the Slater code"
And you claim the substance OF that
dispatch was made publicg" asked Mr..
Smith.
II do"
I'm Natal"
WAS It an accurate publication"
II do not know"
Mr.. Macrum said he had never seen
the publication. He had only been in
formed that the fact that he had asked |
leave Of absence had been printed. He |
affirmed that no one knew OF this fact |
save himself. At this point Mr.. How |
ard, OF Georgia, interposed TO question |
the utility Of the examination OF Mr. |
Macrum
1T looks to me-" said he like an ef- |
fort TO concoct sensation out Of moth
ing"
But the committee decided TO proceed
and I'm reply 10 some questions from 1
Mr.. Burleson, Mr.. Macrum stated that
he had been granted leave Of absence
by Secretary Hay on Nov. i6.
He read 10 the committee message
from the cable company saying a cipher
cable sent by him 60 the secretary Of
state November Il had been held ND
by the military censor until December
?. Asked II other consuls had suffered
any Inconvenience In the matter OF com
with their home govern
ments. Mr. Macrum said they had
The Belgian and German consuls both
told him that no cipher kilograms were
allowed 20 go through.
Did you report to the state depart
ment that your mail had been openedr
asked Mr. Berry OF Kentucky.
IL did not"
did you mention Il upon your ar
rival In Washington"
u did not"
"Wny?"