The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-06-06
President Sends Coh CrOWder's s
 Report to the House
ALSO LETTER FROM MIR. HAY
The Secretary of State Says There Has Been No Violation of the Neutrality Laws by Ship
 ment of Mules.

Washington, June 5-The president to- day sent to the house the report of Col Crowder, who made the investigation of the charges of Governor Heard of Louis- jana that the neutrality laws were being violated at Chalmette, La In transmit ting the report the president sent the following message to the house of rep resentatives:
 "In response to the resolution of the house of representatives, June 2 1902, re- questing the president to send the house of representatives, if not incompatible with the interests of the public service. full information of the investigation re- gently made by his orders to the al- legged supply camp in the state of Lou Isana for collection and shipment to South Africa of military supplies, includ- ing horses and mules, I transmit here- with copy of the report from Col Crow der, the officer who made the investiga- ton referred to and copy of letter which by my direct order the secretary of state addressed on the third of this month to the governor of Louisiana be- ing an answer to a communication from Governor Heard, in which he charged several violations of the neutrality laws of the United States at the port of Chal- mette, La- which communication with its enclosures has already been laid be- fore the house of representatives in com pliance with it's resolution of April 10, 1902, and is printed in house document No. 56S, Fifty-seventh Congress, first ses- sion. (SigneD
 THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
 White House, June g. 1902
 Hay Sums Up Facts.
 Secretary Hay in letter to the Gov srnor of Louisiana dated June 3, sums up the main facts as found by Colonel Crow der, and also gives the rules of the inter- national usage respecting the sale Of goods to parties at war. MT. Hay says the serious point in the charges submitted by MT. Pearson and by the Boer legisla- live committee of Philadelphia was that the British authorities had enlisted men In this country for service in South Af- rica The government made particular ef- forts to find out if there was any basis for this charge, but MT. Hay says that Colonel Crowders report shows that not a single instance could be discovered by linn. Moreover, the attorney general on May 12 requested the Boer legislative committee for evidence which would sub stantiate this charge, but received no in- formation from them on this point. MT. Hay says this charge must be consid- cred, not only as improved, but as having been made without the slightest pretense of justification or proof. Continuing, he says:
 What has been found is that certain officers of the British army, acting in the capacity of purchasing agents and in- ST ectors, have been engaged in the work of buying collecting and inspecting horses and mules at different places in the United States and shipping them from Chalmette to South Africa. There have been thirteen of these officers. The Brit lsh government some time since ordered the recall of all of them. The men em- ployed under them have all been Ameri- cans. The shipments of mules and horses have been continuous month after month since the outbreak of the war.
 Private Ownership.
 The vessels in which they were shipped were of private ownership and not under the control of the British government, and have not the character of military or naval transports. Chalmette was not military camp or post, nor a base of mili- tary supplies as the terms are defined by standard military authorities; nor in any sense, save such as would make a four ing mill or a packing house base of mill itary supplies, if flour canned meat were shipped from either through a series of months to any belhgerent power. Chal- mette was simply a shipping station for the loading and shipping of mules. Physi- cally the station consisted of half of a set of buildings which did not differ from the other half of the same set which was not hired by the British authorities, the buildings of this unhired half being con- tinued in their former use"
 MT. Hay next addressed himself to the law in the matter and says our duty has been laid down again and again. He quotes from the declaration of Thomas Jefferson when secretary of state at the time of the hostilities between England and France: "Our citizens have always been free to make, vend and export arms. To sup press their callings because war exists in foreign and distant countries in which we have no concern hardly would be ex- pected."
 Similar declarations by Alexander Ham, utcn, President Pierce Chief Justice Chase and President Grant are cited.
 Colonel crowder's Report.
 JAS to the treaty of Washington" MT. 1ay says, those who allege that it has any bearing upon the present situation have not taken the trouble to read the nuhlished dispatches of Secretary Fish on behalf of Grant to Minister Schneck at London at the time of the ratification of the treaty.
 The dispatch of June 10. 1871, states that 'the President understands and insists fhat the second rule of Article does not prevent the open sale of arms or other military supplies, etc."
 In conclusion MT. Hay says: "The President regards it as evident, in view of the quotations given above that what was asked by MT. Pearson was the re- yersaI of the consistent policy of the Tinted States since the formation of our government The right of our citizens to sell horses and mules an,- to ship them from New Orleans to any other port Is as undoubted as their right to ship flour and meat, whether for the use of civilians
 -oIators of the country or' either helli-