The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-03-12
AN ATTACK ON HAY
BURLESON FIRES HOT SHOT INTO
SECRETARY.
TOO PR0-BRITISH IN SPIRIT.
REFUSED TO AID IN GETTING RE.
LIEF TO BOERS.

Secretary Hays Refusal to Request
Passports of Lord PauncefOte
Through the British Lines for
Persons Carrying Relief Supplies
to Beers i'm Concentration Camps
the Ground for the Attack-Chair-
man Hill Makes Spirited Defense
of the Secretary.
Washington, March 1.-THE feature
of the day in the House was a speech
by Mr.. Burleson attacking Secretary
Hay for declining to request the Brit
ish authorities to furnish passports to
go through the British line to Rev.
Hiram w. Thomas and wife, who de-
sire to go to South Africa to distribute
Boer relief funds collected in Illinois.
Mr.. Hit of Illinois, chairman of the
Foreign Affairs Committee, made a
spirited reply to Mr.. Burleson, charg-
ing the Texas member with attempting
to PREJUDICE the case before the evidence
was in.
Mr.. Burleson sent to the clerks desk
and had read a letter from John O.
knight, who came to Washington to
secure the passports for DR.. Thomas
and wife. Mr.. Knight, in the letter,
stated that the funds were collected in
response to an appeal by Gov. Yates.
He had gone to Secretary Hay with
letter from Senator Cullom, and the
| Secretary of State the letter says, had
| declined to make the request of Lord
Pauncefote on the ground that such
request would be considered meddie-
| and rarafSGOagg nj nptItra litX
and against the views of President
Roosevelt.
If the facts stated in this letter were
| true, said Mr.. Burleson, then the State
Department was so saturated with pro-
British spirit that it could no longer
respond to the common dictates OF hu-
mainly when made in behalf of Boer
women and children.
Mr.. Burleson said that under date of
March another appeal had gone from
Mr. Knight to Secretary Hay without
| cliciting a response. Mr.. Burleson
| said his purpose in having these let
| tiers read was to fasten the attention
| of the American people upon the course
of the State Department.
Hitt Replies to BurIeson.
Mr.. Hit of Illinois, chairman of the
| Foreign Affairs Committee, replied to
| Mr.. Burleson with some display of
| heat He asked whether he would have
| allowed a committee that existed in
London in 1863. and which was in full
| sympathy with the Confederate cause
| to go through the Union lines for the
purpose of distributing relief. Inter-
national Red Cross was organized for
| the purpose of carrying relief. Funds
could be distributed through it, or
| through our consuls, but not through
those in sympathy with the enemy.
Relief funds raised in this country
had in fact been distributed through
| our consuls.
But why should not the Secretary
! of State use his good offices to relieve
| the distress of Boer women and chill
dren confined in concentration
camps?" asked Mr. Burleson.
| Mr. Hit replied that according to
Mr. knights letter, the secretary had
offered to help Rev. DR.. Thomas in
every way in his power, but he mani
| testify could not do ridiculous thing.
The rules of international law upon
the questions were well established.
Every old soldier of either army who
had been in prison during the Civil
| War understood the situation per-
fectly. Jefferson Davis would not
have allowed Northern sympathizers
to perambulate through Southern
camps, to distribute relief. The Sec
rotary of state could not make a de-
| mand which on its face was contrary
| to all presidents. 1t would be a slap
| in the face of a foreign government
| 1t had not been done in our war or
any other. Our government, he said
| in conclusion, should not put itself in
conflict with another for the sake of
making political capitals