Show neutrality laws not violated washington juno G the president yesterday sent to the house the report of col crowder who made the ration of the charges of bov heard of louisiana that the neutrality laws were being violated at la in transmitting the report the president sent the following messages in response to the resolution of the house of representatives of june requesting the president to send lo 10 house of representatives if not incompatible with the interests of the public service full information of the tion recently made by order as to tho alleged supply camp in the state of louisiana for tle collection and shipment to south africa of supplies including horses and mules transmit herewith a copy of the report from col crow the who made the investigation referred to and a copy of a letter which by my direction the of state addressed on the ard 3rd of this month to the governor of louisiana being an answer to a communication from bov heard in which he charged certain violations of the neutrality of the united states at alie port of chalmette tc la which communication with its has already been laid before alio house of representatives in compliance with its resolution ot Ap aad is printed in house document no fifty congress first session secretary hay in a letter to the governor of louisiana dated june ard 3rd sums up the main facts as found by gol crowder and also the rules of international usage respecting the sale of goods to parties at war mr hay bays the serious point in the charges submitted by mr and by the boer legislative committee of philadelphia was that the british authorities ties had enlisted men in this coun i try for service in south africa tho government made particular efforts to find out if there was any basil for ghisi charge but mr hay says that col crowders report shows not a single instance could be discovered by him moreover alie attorney general on may requested the boer legisla tive committee for evidence which would substantiate this charge but re no information from them on this point mr hay says that this charge must be considered not only aa unproved 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 active in the capacity ot purchasing agents and in have been engaged in the work of buying collecting and inspecting horses and mules at different places in the united states and shipping ahem from chalmette to south africa there have been thirteen of these aukers the british government some time since ordered the recall of all of them the men employed under them have all been am eri cans the shipments of mules and horses have been continuous month after month since the outbreak of tho war the vessels in they were shipped were of private owners liin and not under the control of the ibish govern ment and have not the character of military or naval transports chalmette was not a military camp or post for n base of military supplies as alio llio terms arc by standard military authorities ori ties nor in any sense save as would make a floering flouring flou ring or a packing houe si base of military if hour or canned meat were shipped from cither through a bencs of months to any belligerent li power chalmette tc was simply a shipping station for the loading and shipping of mules mr hay next addressed himself to the law in the matter and says our duty has been laid dowil again and again lie quotes frain the declaration of thomas jellerson ali cn swreta ry of state at the of the hostilities between england and france our citizens have always been free to make vend and export arms to suppress their callings because a war exist in foreign and distant countries in which we have no concern could be expected similar declarations by alexander hamilton president fierce chief justice chase and president grant arc cited in conclusion mr hay saya the president regards it as evident in view of the quotations given above that what was asked for by mr pearson was the reversal of the consistent policy of the united states since the formation of our government the right of our cit eizens to sell horses and mules and to ship them from new orleans to any oth cr port is as undoubted as their right to ship flour and meat whether for the use of the civilians or soldiers of the country of cither belligerent there is no shadow of excuse for the claim that there has been any violation of the duties and obligations ligat ions of neutrality on the part of this nation col Crowd cra report is an elaborate presentation of alio conditions at chalmere Chalm eUe he sums up lib fin dingi of fact under six heads which arc substantially ly as follows 1 the british remount commission officers of which are operating and directing purchases and shipments of supplies in the united states H bureau of the english army administration 2 As organized by these officers chalmette tc station iii a governmental shipping agency for but one class of military supplies and not the character of a base of military supplies nor that of a military caius or post 3 no attempts to recruit the british army have been made at chalmette tc station nor does the evidence disclose any such attempts at other points in the united states A few muleteers mule were recruited cruit ed but this was against the orders of the british government 4 all shipments have been from the port of new orleans to south african ports upon vessel chartered by the british admiralty under ordinary commercial charters 5 the transactions of the committee aggregated from october 1809 to march 1902 with an average monthly value of the total shipments are given at horses and inkles 05 different vessels being engaged in the trade making ical voyages all supplies have been for the use of the english army in south africa the trade having no existence prior to the u war col crowder the port of new orleans waa extensively used in 1895 97 to supply the spanish army then engaged in prosecuting hostilities in cuba 1 i h |