The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-02-15
Says His Dispatches Were Held Up
and Mail Opened by the British
Military Censor.
HIS SYMPATHY WITH B0ERs
AND HE DID NOT CARE TO ACT AS
CONSUL FOR BRITAIN.
Interests of Americans In the Trans
ed by the Secretary Of State.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 14.-The following
signed statement was given out tonight
by Charles E. Macrum, former United
States consul to Pretoria:
"The situation in Pretoria was such that,
first, as an official. could not remain there
while my government at home was appar-
emily in the dark to exact conditions in
South Africa; secondly, as a man and citi-
zen of the United States, 1 could not re-
main in Pretoria, sacrificing my own self
respect and that of the people of Pretoria
while the government at home continued to
leave me in the position of a British con-
sui and not an American consul. I want
to say right here that there was not one
single request made of me through the
Department of State looking to the care of
British interests in Pretoria which / did
not fulfill and report on according to my
orders. On the other hand, American inter-
ests in South Africa were in that condition
which demanded that the Department of
State should be cognizant of them.
II used the statement received from the
State Department that Americans must re-
main neutral. In the face Of this Ameri-
cans were continually going to the front
and taking up arms in the cause of the
Beers. I could not help but know that
many of these were citizens of the United
States. / also knew that many of them, In
utter despair at the apparent attitude of
our own government. were taking the oath
of allegiance to the Transvaal republic.
When affairs had reached the state that
my vice consul, Mr.. Van Ameringen, closed
up his business, took the oath of allegiance
to the republic and went to the front as a
burgher. thought the time had come when
1 should make a report of these conditions.
ut was over four weeks from the time
the war opened before received single
| mail dispatch from my government or a
personal letter. The mail for the Transvaal
had all been stopped at Cape Town by or
der Of the high commissioner. When this
mail was finally forwarded to me after
Colonel Stowe, the consul general at Cape
Town, had secured its release, 1 had the
humiliation, as the representative of the
American government. Of sitting in my Of
flee in Pretoria and looking on envelopes
bearing the official seal of the American
government opened and officially sealed
with sticker, notifying me that the con-
tents had been read by the censor at Dur
| ban. 1 looked up international law, but
failed to find anywhere that one military
power can use its own discretion as to for
warding the official dispatches of a neutral
government to its representatives in a be-
| sieged country.
CABLEGRAM NOT SENT.
THE mail service from Delagoa bay to
Europe was frequently interrupted by the
| action Of British men-of-war at that port.
| The service was over two weeks longer
than by the west coast, and there were
| continual rumors that that port would be
closed and communication with the out
side world entirely cut off. The cable serv-
ice for the Transvaal was absolutely cut
on. was privately informed by the Bel
| gian and German consuls at Pretoria. that
| their official cables in code to their gov
ernments had been refused by the censor.
1 filed one cable in the interest of an Amer
lean In Pretoria, which was refused abso-
lutely by the censor I'm Durham. This cable
| l sent to the fiancee Of Mr. Nelson. an
American business man in Pretoria. She
was on her way to South Africa from Buff
| falo. N. Y, when the war broke out. Ac-
4
| ceived just before the war commenced she
vas buying her trousseau in Europe. The
cable required her to come by the east
| coast. When I informed Mr. Nelson that
the cable had not been sent his brother
took the oath Of allegiance to the republic
and went to the front. But these are SIM
| ply minor details
''The Misrepresentation which had been
| going on before the war and after Ii opened
i were of such serious nature and would
| require such detailed explanation that on
| the 9Th Of November filed a cable to the
| department in code, stating that wished
leave Of absence In order to visit the
States. set forth in this cable that my
vice consul had enlisted in the Boer army;
that Mr.. Atterbury. an American, whom
1 had known very favorably for more than
year, could take charge of the Office un-
| til my return. In reply to this dispatch,
which was forwarded without any delay,
I received from the department a reply ad-
vising me that my presence az Pretoria
was important to the public interests. On
the sth telegraphed again, acknowledging
the receipt of the cable and advising the
| department that the situation was not crit
ical; that Mr.. Atterbury was competent;
that my presence in America was impor-
tant. No reply was received and I wired
again on the 11th. stating that no reply had
been received, and again urged favorable
| reply. No reply was received to this. On
the 14th OF November / again wired the
department. stating that 1 could not leave
without permission: that I would forfeit
4 fho \
give the department did not prove salts
! factory. This cable was delayed by the