Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-04-10
DEFEND MULE gimp
British Officers Say They Have
no Intention OF Violating
Neutrality Laws.
Spcret Service Men Are at Work
on the Official Investi-
CATION.
British Government Has Paid
Out SIS, 900, 600 for Amer.
lean Mounts.

| New Orleans, La, April 10.-Informa
ton, secretly secured, is being for
warded from here to the state and wal
departments at Washington as to the
exact conditions attending the British
stock camp at Port Chalmettte. Secret
service men are hard at work. Even
Chief John e. W'ilkie was here for a
few hours, but he has gone on west
ward, insisting that only shifting OF
his men called him this way.
Colonel E. H. Crowder. assigned to
Investigate by Adjutant General Corbin
of the United States army, spent the
Gay canvassing the court records which
came into existence thru the many
rounds of litigation raised by General
Samuel Pearson, formerly of the Boer
army, as props for his charges that
England is violating the neutrality
laws This is as far as the inquiry has
proceeded.
Official advices from Washington to-
day indicate the war department orig
inally intended q secret surveillance,
and, on the facts, thus gained, to take
open steps when the facts We're at hand.
Premature announcement of the inves-
LEGATION plan has spoiled that idea. To
inquiries from Washington word was
sent that, under the conditions
now raised, only public inquiry can
be Of avail.
New fuel was added by the return of
two transports from Cape Town during
the night and morning. Officers in this
service have raised the claim that ac-
ton on the part of the United States
likely will involve Russia, Austria and
Spain. In these three countries Eng
land is maintaining stock depots and
shipping out thousands of mules and
horses. Should the United States, as q
result OF the present inquiry, hold that
neutrality laws are violated, when 1T is
commended. the European nations, which
watch the international laws with
jealousy, will take action.
Englands representatives here, from
the local consul to the lowest ranking
officer in charge of shipments. insist
they desire searching, careful investi-
cation. During the twenty seven
months that the British government
has been buying horses and mules in
the United States for the south African
service they show that $25,000,000 has
been paid into American trade and in
dustrial channels. Charges OF neutral
ity violation, they point out, have been
made only after this traffic has gone on
for two years Governmental restric-
tons, they assert, have kept their
mouths closed and sprevented answer
Pearson and gother Boer representatives.
An inquiry would allow pres entation of
their side of the matter.
England's agents, both military and
civil, talked freely of the case. urging
only that their names be withheld, as
any statement accredited to them
would involve an official collision with
the British government heads. On one
point especially do they demand in
quiry, and that bears on General Pear
sons charges that $4,000 men have been
carried out of this port for enlistment
in the British army.
New Orleans has been the greatest
Boer recruiting station in the world,
and we can SHOW this" said the highest
of England's civil representatives here.
Three fourths OF the muleteers who
left the stock transports in south Africa
enlisted in the Boer army.
why, the claim that $4,000 men were
sent from this point to our forces is
ridiculous on it's face. That would
mean that SEQ men were carried on
each boat that has sailed since ship
ments began more than two years ago.
The number of muleteers on each
transport has ranged from forty to
eighty and the latter is the maximum
limit 1t Is true that. In the early days.
there was great laxity and many men
got ashore and never came back to
ship. But the new order OF affairs has
stirred all this, and now not more than
four men leave any vessel over there"
To prevent any entanglements with
the United States government. it is
commended, the most extreme precau-
tons have been taken.
:. I'VE have had English citizens come
here in numbers and request that they
be allowed to enlist" said this same
ofHclal. ney reSIaed Ut polntS III the
United States and in Canada. TO each
and every one the flat statement was
made that they could not enlist nor be
sent over from here under any circum-
stances. They We're told to go to en-
listing agencies in Canada. We did
this with the view that no shadow of
suspicion should be cast on our trade
here"
ALASKAN BOUNDARY DISPUTE.
Secretary Hay Willing to Submit Facts
to Congress.
IN y4,p April IN Of