The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-06-10
CHALMETTE INVESTIGATION
The President Sends to the House
the Report Of Colonel C~rOvyder;
Summing up the Main Facts and
Giving the Rules on international
Usage Regarding Such Mntters-NO
Neutrality Laws VioIated-AmOunt
of E~ngIand's

Colonel CroWder who made the inVesti-l
cation Of the charges of Governor
Heard, of Louisiana, that the neutrali-
ty laws were being violated at Chal-I
mette, La. The message of t~ransmittaII
is purely formal. 1t encloses a copy oil
q letter written by the presidents di-I
rection to Governor Heard, dated JuneI
3rd, which sums up the main facts, asI
follows, by Colonel Crowder and aIsol
gives the rules Of international usagel
respecting the sale of goods to partiesl
at war. Mr.. Hay says the serious point
in the charges submitted by Mr.. Pear
son and by tie Boer legislative conf
mitteee of Philadelphia was that the
British authorities had enlisted men in
this country for service in South Afri-
ca. The government made PARTICULAR
efforts to find out if there was any basis
for this charge, but Mr.. Hay says that
not a single instance could be discover
ed by him. Mr.. Hay says that this
charge must be considered not only as
improved but as having been without
the slightest pretence of justification or
proof. Continuing he says:
WnaI mas Deen 1OunO Is mat certain
officers of the British army, acting in
the capacity of purchasing agents and
inspectors, nave been engaged in the
work of buying, collecting and inspect
ing horses n mules at different placesl
in the United States and shipping them
from Chalmette to South Africa. Therel
have been thirteen of these officers.
The British government sometime sincel
ordered the recall of all of them. Thel
mon -omnlnUQ6 nn6pr Thorn have oil
been dismissed. Shipments of mulesl
and horses have been continuous MONTH
after month since the outbreak OF the
war. The vessels in which they werel
shipped were of private ownership and
not under the control of the British gov
eminent and have not the character of
military or naval transports. Chal-l
mette was not a military camp or post
nor a base of military supplies as thel
terms are defined by standard military
authorities; nor in any sense save Suchl
as would make a Touring mill or al
packing house a base of military Sup-I
plies. if flour or canned meat were ship-I
ped from either through a series of
months to any belligerent poWer.i
Chalmette was simply a shipping sta
ton for the loading and shipping of
mules. Physically, the station consist
ed 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 continued in their
former use"
Mr.. Hay neXt addresses himself to-
the law in the matter n 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 be-
tween England and France when "ourl
nifiznnC hnUn w VIC hnnn FREQ tO ma Y |
Vend and export arms. To SUPPRESS
their callings because a war exists inI
foreign and distant countries in which
we have no concern hardly would bel
expected
Similar declarations by Alexander
Hamilton. President Pierce. Chief JUS
tice Chase and President Grant are
cited.
LAS to the treaty Of Washington y
Mr.. Hay says Those who allege that it
has any bearing upon Tie present Situa-
ton have not taken the trouble to read
the published dispatches of Secretary
Fish on behalf of President Grant toI
Minister Schenck at London at the time
of the ratification of the treaty" The
dispatch of June 10. 1871 states that
1.-The president understands and insists
that the second rule of Article VI does
not prevent the open Gale of arms or
other military supplies etc"
In conclusion Mr.. Hay says: The
president regards it as evident, in view
Of the quotations given above that what
was asked for by Mr.. Peason was thel
reversal of the consistent policy of theI
United States since the formation of
our government. The right of our citi-l
zens to sell horses and mules and tol
ship them from New Orleans to any
other port is as ~undoubted as their right
to ship flour and meal, whether for tnel
use Of civilians II soldiers of the coun-l
cry of either belligerept. There is moi
ado Of excus for the claim that
there has been any violation of theI
duties and obligations of neutrality on
the part of this nation
Colonel C~rowder's reoort Is an elab-l
crate presentation of the conditions ex-l
listing at Chalmette. He sums up his
findings of fact under six heads which,
are substantially as follows:
"1. The British remoLnt commission,l
officers of which are operating n d.
rectlng purchases and OF
supplies in the United States, Is a bu-l
reau of the English army administra-
ton.
'2 AS organized by these officers
Chalmette station is i governmental
shipping gency for but one class OF
military supplies, and 1t has no tnel
character OF Il base of military Sup-l
plies nor that of a mil1try camp or post
3. NO attempts 10 recruit the Dlitl
ish army have been made at Chalmettel
station nor does the evidence disclosal
any such attemuts at other points mi
the United States. y few muleteeersl
were recruited, but this was against the
orders of the British government.
"a. All shipments have beer from theI
mort Of New Orleans to South Africanl
norts. upon vessels chartered by thel
British admiralty, under ordinary
oo--orcial charters, |
"5. The transactions Of the commis-I
sion aggregate s1I,959,3oo from OcIooer
1899 to March 1902. with an average
monthly value of $685. 7S. The total
are given at 3S,6S7 horses and
75,10S mules, IS different vessels oelngl
engaged in the trade, making 100 'oy-
ages. -
60 Al supplies have beer for the use
of the English army in South A1r1ca,l
the trade having no. existence prior tol
the war."
Colonel Crowder adds that the port
of New Orleans was extensively useoI