The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-03-29
Immoral Conduct Found Among
 American Officers
GOODN0W IS THE WORST
He Has Used Ills Position at shang- hal to Extort Large Sums of
 Money for Ills Own
Use,


 resentatives In response to resolution introduced by Representative Williams, Mississippi, the report of Assistant Sec retary of State Herbert H. D. Pierce re- gardlng tho consular service in the Ori- ent. The message is accompanied by a letter from Secretary Root in which he says:
 II wish to call especial attention to one feature of these reports. They dis close grave misconduct on the part of two consuls formerly occupying import ant posts ln the east. These consuls are no longer in the service. I regret to say, however that there are indications of other cases of misconduct or inefficiency among cohsuls in various parts of the world'
 These cases the secretary says show the necessity of a regular inspection ser- vice.
 Serious Charges Against Three
 While MT Pierce criticises the employ ment of English consuls at some places and the age of some American consuls his severe criticism 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- nlovment of A. felon, issuance of fraudu- lent Chinese certificates, extending pro tectlon to Chinamen who claim to pe American citizens, persecution of Amerl- can citizens for purposes of revenge ana corruption in office.
 The charges against former Consul General Goodnow at Shanghai are 2 In number. some serious and some shght. Some are sufficient to support suits at law and giving evidence of corruption in office The opinion of the better ele- ment was unfavorable to him in Shang- hai.
 Charge No. 1 related to alleged Illegal fees for probating will; the second, to the false registration of the steamship Kiangsi and is made the subject or an extended report; another the improper issuance of passports; a list of fees not accounted for is still another given.
 The report states that Consul General Levitt Wilcox at Hankow "eannot be said to be d useful consular officer
 Regarding MT. Greener at Vladivostok the report says:
 "Everywhere throughout the east I re- ceived unfavorable reports of MT. Green CT. His habits are said 70 Dc extremely bad"
 Other complaints of him are that he has faults relative to his accounts.
 Record Not Unblemished.
 Several consuls are commended as ex- celent As to Oscar F. Williams at Sing apore MT Pierce says that in his two previous posts his record has not been unblemished. He makes part of the record correspondence between the Sultan of 4ta xtrhi ffnnz1fl Williams Is alleged to have made efforts to collect debt for a Chinaman. His defense to the department was that he did not know the real duties of his con sulate.
 Commenting on MT. Williams. MT. Pierce adds:
 ~Ny personal observation convinced me that Consul General Williams Is not a useful man to the government in his present capacity. He Is not man of such bearing as to inspire confidence
 Since the report of MT. Pierce an- other man has been made consul genera! at Singapore
 As 10 the Goodnow charges MT. Pierce says:
 Man of Strong Character.
 MT. Goodnow is man of strong char acter and marked ability, and it must be admitted that in many respects he has performed the duties of his office ex- ceedingly well. My investigation on the spot showed me that he had many warm friends and also many strong enemies in Shanghai. among them members of the American eoloney there. but on the whole the opinion of the better element was unfavorable to him.
 q found many ugly rumors refectlng gravely upon Consul General Goodnow g moral standing in the community. but as these were matters of gossip and hear say, unsupported by any tangible evi- dence. I have not felt that it was proper to include them in the charges
 Then follow the charges. The first. the Will case, the report said. would indicate that the consul general or some one in his office is acting as an attorney before his own court and collecting and not accounting for the fees. The transfer of the ship Kiangsi to American register, the next charge, occurred during the Boxer troubles.
 MT. Peirce here remarks:
 "'Thereis no evidence that Mir. Goodnow made any investigations to satisfy him self of tho facts. but there is evidence that transfer of the vessels were fraudu- lent,
 The improper issuance 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 con sulate. MT. Peirce says
 "While there are some instances of an apparent misappropriation of fees receiv- cd by failure to report the same. this does not amount to any large sum, but the whole exhibits at best are most reprehen- sible looseness of accounting and of ad- ministration.
 Obtained Large Sums of Money.
 But much more grave Is the evidence that Mir Goodnow was using the. great judicial powers which the law Of the United States has invested our consuls in China with to improperly obtain large sums of money for himself. to which he had not the shadow of right. and the evi- dence of this in certain cases is so strong and so convincing that conclusive evil dence in rebuttal on MT. Goodnow's part Is necessary to acqut him of the charge of grave malfeasance in office"
 Another charge Is that Goodnow forced an attorney named Brown Burke to give mp a contract for contingent fee by threats of Imprisonment made by his mar shal, Derby.
 Going into details regarding the charges against AIcWade. late consul general at Canton. Mir Peirce cited instances of where "McWade was disgracefully drunk and made u public exhibition of him self"
 Other charges. including the employ nent of a convicted felon in a place of trust. the issuance of fraudulent Chinese certificates the persecution of American citizens and the extortion of stock from