The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-03-29
He Tells his Story Before AOuSe
Committee.
Important Letter From
Secy. Hay.
How Proposition for Arbitration
Was Rejected.

Washington, March 2s-Charles K.
Macrum, the ex-oopsul ut Pretoria, APP
peared before the HOUSE foreign affairs
committee today. when he gave out his
statement here soue weeks ago. declaring
that his Official mail had been opened
BY British officials, Mr.. Macrum was
summoned to Washington to testify.
In opening Mr.. Mscrum recalled the
statemsnt he had made some time ago
10 the Associated Press. That statement,
he ssid practically embedies all hs has
to say. He explained that when he asked
for 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 It essential should
be known here. He underttood that the
British had possession OF our Gable
cipher. He was net certain Of this but
he had since Information which cen-
vinoed him that his suspicious were COR
rect. he also desired Information as TO
his course when the settlement came AZ
the end of the war. Further, he had .
petition from some American residents
In the Transvaal. asking that the Unit
ed States maintain absolute neutrality,
which he wanted to present to the state
department. The petition be surrendered
10 the committee. IL was signed by Cor
don, the consular agent ~ johannesburg.
Asked as to when he was first satisfied
that his mail was being tan pered with,
he said that war was declared O,tober
10. He did not reosive any mail between
that OATS and the second week in Novem-
Der. Ordinarily he had box Of mail
every week.
Ibid other people receive mall during
that period" asked Mr.. Williams Of
Mississippi.
"Not that L know of. replied Mr..
Macruni.
Pressed for specific information as to
how be got the intimation that the Brit
,sh were opening and delsyin his mails,
he replied that when his mail did not
arrive, he telegraphed our consul at Lou
renzo MARQUEE requesting him to inquire
of Cape Town Why 1t was being delayed.
The consul at Lorenzo Marques rsrllsd
that he also had had ns mail. Mr..
Macrum said the delay Of his mall ore
Ated o conviction in his mind that the
British authorities were responsible. The
frat actual evidence had was the receipt
Of two ope n letters. He produced the en-
velopes which he said contained the lsttsrs.
One WAS from a private citizen addressed
the United States consul at Pretoria
and the other was from Consul Stowe at
Cape Town.
William Alden Smith of Michigan In
terrogated the witness sharply on the
reasons for stating his belief that the
British authorities had possession Of the
state department cipher. MIR. Macrum
said he could not affirm that fact from
actual knowledge, but there were certain
fact which convinced him that such was
the case. He explained that on Noyem-
Der he had cabled the state depa1 tnent
In cipher asking for leave Of absence.
That message had gone through Durham.
The next day. November 2, he said, he
had been informed newspaper at Dur
ban printed the fact that he had asked
for leave OF absence.
Mr.. Smith Intercepted Mr. Eanrum
as to the character Of the code used by
him In this dispatch especially as to
whether he had used what was known
as the Slater code, q common code pur-
chasabls anywhere. "Ths message"
said Mr.. Maorum. Twas sent In the state
department cipher Of the Slater CODE"
"And you claim the Substance OF that
dispatch was made public" asked Mr..
Smith.
81 do"
"Hhsre?"
ain Natal
"was 1t an accurate publicatlonf"
81 do not kow."
AR. Macrum said he had never seen
the publication. He had only been in
formed that the fact that he had asked