The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-03-29
REPORT OF PIERCE
SEVERE CRITICISM OF UNITED
 STATES CONSULs.
GoodmOn, McWade and Williams, the Latter Still in Service, Come iu for the Most Censure-Others
 Not Exempt.


 Washington. March 2s.-The Presi- dent today transmitted to the House of Representatives in response to a reso- lution introduced by Representative Williams of (Miss) the report of As- sistant Secretary of State Herbert H. D. Pierce. regarding the consular ser- vice in the Orient. The message is accompaiied by a letter from Secretary Root in which he says;
 ' Iwish to call especial attention to one feature of these reports. They dis close grave misconduct on the part of two consuls formerly occupying im- portant posts in the east. These con l suls are no longer in the service. I regret to say. however, that there are indications of other cases of miscon- duct or ineficiency among consuls in various parts of the world These cases the Secretary says show | the necessity of a reguiar inspection service.
 While MT. Peirce critfcises the em- ployment of English consuls at some places and the age of some American coasuls. his severe criticism is reserved for ex-Consul General Goodnow at Shanghai. ex-Consul General McWade at Canton. and Consul Williams at Singapore.
 The charges against Mcwade. former consul at Canton are drunkenness, em- | | lent Chinese certificates, extending pro- | tection to Chinamen who claim to be American citizens, persecution of | American citizens for purposes of re- venge and corruption in office. l The charges against former Consul | General Goodnow at Shanghai, are S2 | in number. some serious and some | slight. Some are sufficient to support
 suits at law and giving evidence of corruption in office. The opinion of the better element was unfavorable to him | in Shanghai.
 Charge No. related to alleged ille- | gal fees for probating a will. The | second to the false registration of the | steamer Kiangsi and is made the sub | ject of an extended report, another the | improper issuance of passports; list | of fees not accounted for is still an- l other given.
 The report states that Consul Gen. eral Levi I. Wilcox at Hankow "can not be said to be useful consular off cer."
 Regarding Mir. Greener at vladivos- | tok, the report says: "Everywhere | throughout the east I received unfa- vorable reports of Mir Greener. His habits are said to be extremely bad" Other complaints of him are that | he has faults relative to his accounts. Several consuls are commended as excellent As to Oscar F. Williams at | Singapore Mir. Pierce says that in his two previous posts his record has not l been unblemished. He makes part of | the record correspondence between the | Sultan of Lingga Riouw of 1901, In | which Consul Williams is alleged to have made efforts to collect debt for Chinaman. His defense to the de- l partment was that he did not know
 the realm of his consulate. l l Price adds:
 | My personal observation convinced me that Consul General Williams is not useful man to the government in his present capacity. He Is not a man of such bearing as to inspire conf- dehce."
 Since the report of Mir. Peirce another man has been made consul general at | Singapore
 As to the Goodnow charges, MT. | Peirce says: MT. Goodnow is a man of strong character and marked abili- ty and it must be admitted that in many respects he has performed the duties of his office exceedingly we'll. My | investigation on the spot showed me that he had many warm friends and al- SD many strong enemies In Shanghai among the members of the American colony there but on the whole the opin- ion of the better element was unfavOr- able to him.
 T found many ugly rumors reflectIng gravely upon Consul General Goodnow's S moral standing in the community. but as these were matters of gossip and hearsay, unsupported by any tangible evidence. l have not felt that it was proper to include them in the charg- es." .@-. ....a.
 Then follow the charges. The first, the will case, the report says, would in- . SIII one in his office Is acting as an attor- ney before his own court and collecting and not accounting for the fees The transfer of the ship Kiangsi to Ameri- ca register, the next. charge, occur red during the Boxer troubles. :.-:
 MT. Peirce here remarks: There is no evidence that MT. Goodnow made any investigations to satisfy himself of the 1 facts but there is evidence that the transfer of these vessels were a fraudu- lent one"
 The improper issue of passports is the next charge treated of and several specific instances given. Speaking of the unsatisfactory evidence he was able to secure regarding the accounts of the consulate MT. Peirce says:
 While there are some instances of an apparent misrepresentation of fees received by failure to report the same this does not amount to any large sum. but the whole exhibit at best a most reprehensible looseness of accounting and of business. But much more serious Is the charge that MT. Good now was using the great judicial DOW CTS of his office to improperly obtain large sums of money for himself to which he had not the shadow of right and the evidence of this in certain cases Is so strong and so convincing that conclusive evidence in rebuttaI on MT. Goodnow's part is necessary to acquite him of the charge of grave malfeasance in office"
 Other charges, including the employ- ment of a convicted feIon in place of trust, the isuance of fraudulent Chinese certificates, the persecution Of American citizens and the extortion of stock from a company established to manufacture: ice in Canton. are enumerated and the report concludes
 The general opinion that I found expressed regarding McWade through + out China was that he is notoriously corrupt"
 Death of Col. C. V. Guthrie. Cincinnati March 2S--ColoneI C. V Guth- rir whose leadershin op a deaparata oLar..