The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-03-29

Charges of a Serious Character
Agains United States Consuls
in the Orient.
SPECIAL AGENTS REPORT
SINS OF SOME OF THE DELlN-
oUENTS SET DOWN.

Washington March 2s.-The president
today transmitted TO the house the re
port of Assistant Secretary of State Her
bert II. B. PIERCE regarding the consular
service in the Orient. The message IS
accompanied by a letter from Secretary
Root, in which he says:
Il wish to call especial attention to one
feature of these reports. They disclose
grave misconduct on the part of two
consuls formerly occupying important
posts in the east. These consuls are no
longer in the service. regret to say,
however, that there are indications of
other cases of misconduct or inefficiency
among consuls in various parts of the
world
These cases, the secretary says. show
the necessity of a regular inspection
service.
Some of the Worst.
The visit of Mr. Peirce included many
cities, but his severe criticism is reserved
FOR ex-Consul General Goodnow at Shang-
hal, ex-Consu1 General McWade at Can
ton, and Consul Williams at Singapore.
The charges against McWade, former
consul at Canton, are drunkenness, en-
ployment of a felOn, issuance Of fraudu-
lent Chinese certificates, extending pro-
lection to Cinnamon who claim to be
American citizens, persecution Of Amer
corruption in office.
The charges against former Consul
General GoOdnOw at Shanghai are eighty
two in number, some serious and some
light. Some are sufficient to support
suits at law. and giving evidence of cor
ruption in office. The opinion of the bet
ter element was unfavorable to him in
Shanghai.
Wilcox Not Useful.
The report states that Consul General
Levi L. Wilcox at Hanghau cannot be
said 10 be a useful consular officer"
Regarding Mr.. Greene. a Viadivostok.
the report says everywhere throughout
the east I received unfavOrable reports
OF Mr. Greene His habits ar said to be
extremely bad
other complaints Of him are that he
had faults relative TO his accounts.
Several consuls are commended as ex-
cellent.
Not a Useful Man.
Concerning Mr.. Williams, Mr.. PIERCE
adds:
My personal observation convinced
me that Consul General Williams is
not a useful man to the government in
his present capacity He is not a M 4
of such bearing as to inspire confidence
and he does not appear to have gained
the respect and esteem of the colonial
government, while his work does not
disclose that zeal and efficiency which
have for the furtherance of our inter
ests at that important port"
Since the report Of Mr.. Peirce an
other man has been made consul gen
eral at Singapore
The Goodnow Charges.
As to the Goodnow charges Mr.
PIERCE says;
II found many ugly rumOrs reflect
ing graveIy upon COnsuI-GeneraI Good
now's moral standing in the community
but as these were matters of gossip
and hearsay, unsupported by any tan
gible evidence, I have not felt that it
was proper to include them in the
charges but l my say that 1t is un-
fortunate that an official occupying so
conspicuous position as does our con-
sul-general at Shanghai should be the
subject Of such sCandalOus report
while the employment of such men as
White and Derby in the capacity they
have filled is in itself discreditable.
If there were nothing else 70 be said re-
garding them they are mer of coarse,
brutal type. whose language in the Of
fee is as I learn from most reliable
information. grossly indecent and pro-
fame White has resigned but Derby
remains as marshal
Gathering in Fees.
Mr.. PIERCE charges that the consul
general or some one in his Office APP
parently is acting as an attorney be
fore his own court and collecting the
fees as official court fees. None of
these fees. it is said. has been &C
counted for to the department.
The transfer of the ship Kiangsi TO
American register, the next charge, &C
CURED during the boxer troubles. Mr..
PIERCE says of this that the transfer
was evidently a fraudulent one, and
that there is no evidence that Mr.. Good