The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-04-29

MINISTER BOWEN
TO BE RECALLED
Honor of Assistant Secretary LOOMS
Involved.
SERIOUS CHARGES MADE
MATTER TO BE SIFTED AT
WASHINGTON,
SERIOUS CHARGES MADE

Washington, April 2S.-Secretary Taft
is considering the ACCESSIBILITY Of order
ing Minister Bowen. at Caracas, to re-
port forthwith in Washington TO eX-
plain the charges against Assistant
Secretary LoOmis which ne has con-
veyed to Secretary Taft in a personal
letter. II President Roosevelt asseBts
this order viii be issued Immediately
Believes LOOMS Innocent.
The proceeding is to determine pre-
CiseIy the extent of Mr.. Bowen : re
sp0nSibility for the circulation OF these
charges. The official mind here is made
up. so far as Mr.. LOomiS is concerned;
II is absolutely convinced of his nno-
Cence of any wrOngdoing while he was
minister to Venezuela, and has reached
this conclusion after a thorough Suit
ing of the charges. That being the case.
it is felt here that Minister Bowen, in
order TO escape blame himself, must
show that he did one Of two things,
either by private inquiry in Caracas ne
arrived at another conclusion as to the
truthfulness of the charges or that he
did what ne could to denOunce them
and to discourage their circulation in
Venezuela.
News of Scandal in Europe.
Months ago Mr.. Bowen reported to
Secretary Hay that rumOrS affecting
the integrity of his predecessor were in
free circulation I'm Caracas, and that to
his own knowledge these rumors had
been transmitted promptly by the for
eigu diplomatic representatives to the
various European capitals.
Secretary Hay promptly commune
Gated this message to the president.
and then admOniShed Mr.. Bowen that
II scarcely was becoming an American
minister to ALLOW his predecessors 70 be
traduCed when the honor of the mis-
sion was involved Meanwhile an in
vcstigatiUH was conducted here. which
satisfied the authorities of the iunO-
cenCe of Mr.. LOOmiS.
Definite Charges
The rumors i'm Caracas became more
and more definite in form as the state
department here increased its pressure
on President Castro to secure a settle
meRt of the asphalt case and finally
Mr. Bowen again took them up and
repeated them to Secretary Taft. The
secretary felt that. no matter how Mr.
Bowen regarded it. the matter was not
personal to him, and communicated
with the president on the subject Hav-
ing thus become official. however. the
matter could not be dropped, and hence
the determination to bring MI Bowen
TO Washington to explain his connec-
ton with il. 1t is not doubted that the
president Will accept promptly SeCre-
tary Tafts suggestion, and that Mr..
Bowen VIII take the next mail steamer
for this country.
Bowen in Bad Box.
one result of the last move in the
case may be the defeat Of "a project
which has been formed to exchange
Mr.. Bowen TO another South American
mission, which cannot be done now
unless he shows that he was not Gull
pable. --.-.
It Is expected that the presidents an
SWer to the secretary'S suggestion that
Mr.. Bowen be directed TO come to
Washington will me received tomor-
president viii accept the secretary's
recommendation II is quite certain
that Mr. Bowen VIII not return to ca
rdcdS as American minister. except
perhaps TO present his letters of recall.
for it is understood that. even if his
explanation is satisfactory, and he is
to remain in the diplomatic service. his
usefulness i'm Caracas viii have been
impaired. and il Will be necessary to
carry out the state departments orig
inal plan. formed before the publication
OF the attack upon Mr.. Loomis. and
transfer Mr.. Bowen To either Colombia
a" chile or perhaps to Brazil. in the
event that Ambassador Thompson is
sent to Mexico. as he desires
Secretary Taft. il is understood. to-
night has heard from President Roose-
Welt approving his proposition to direct
Minister Herbert w. Bowen at Caracas
10 report 10 Washington to explain the
charges against Assistant Secretary
Loomis of the state department. which
were communicated to Secretary Taft
by the minister Secretary Taft nc
cordmEiy will act. i'm the matter to-
morrow.