The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-05-17
BOWEN SAYS He
MADE NO CHARGES
Minister, to Venezuela Answers
Presidents Request for Light
on LOOMS Case.
New York Sun Special Service.

Now I orh DUN 0peclal SerV1Ce.
Washington, May ia stirring;up
of all the phases of the Venezuelan
matter is taking place here and the
ventilation of the LOOMS Bowen scan
dial will be but one feature. Presl-
dent Roosevelt yesterday saw DR.. Jose
de Jesus Paul, the personal representa-
tive of President Castro, and Senator
the New York & Bermudez company,
q friend of Minister Bowen. who is
supposed to have told him about the
$4,000 check which, it is charged, was
received by Minister LOOMS as brlbe,
and which Mr.. LOOMS explains by say
ing that he gave his own checks IN eX-
change for it, so as to accomplish the
conversion of the Venezuelan money
he had on hand into American curren-
cy. DR.. Paul came here earl in the
winter to convince the president that
Minister Bowen had not conducted the
business of this government at Caracas
in such a manner as to preserve the
good relations existing between the
United States and Venezuela.
Mr.. Bowen accompanied Mr.. Pastor
to the White House offices, but did not
get to see the president. In fact, Pres
hear the minister, telling him to make
all the statements he desires to sub
nit on the controversy to Secretary
Taft. The visit of Mr.. Pastor was
treated at the White House as a secret,
and no one connected with the execu-
tive Offices would even admit that he
had called on the president.
Bowen Replies to President
The minister also fled his answer to
the president s query as to why he had
made the charges against LOOMS. The
Bowen answer is that he made no
charges, and that it is not incumbent
upon him even to try to prove the
truth of the charges. He holds that
it was his duty to send the charges to
Washington for the information of Mr..
LOOMS, if for no other officer, because
reports on them had been sent Euro
pean chancelleries. But the minister
is not content with that. He cited the
fact that the charges were not new
purpose of proving that assertion he
showed the papers which he had sent
to the state department because he
had found them in the legation at Ca
racaS. He referred to other documents
on file there, all apparently for the
tinued story to which he was referring
when he reported the fact that Euro
pean diplomats had sent the charges tc
their own governments.
Taft Questions LOOMS.
Secretary Taft Intercepted Mr.. Loo
mis- about the papers to which Mr.
Bowen referred. The assistant score
tary said that he did not know the,
to the time he took the trip to Cali
fornia, which, it was thought, marked
the end Of his connection with the de
partment. He was not prepared to sa,
that they were not in the files prio
to that time. All he intended to sd,
4lo+ l1 81 OH %hoS
presence in Washington.
The answer submitted by Ministe
Bowen is longer than the document h
brought to Washington with him TO
the purpose of filing under the title o
answer. He offered; Secretary TAT
an answer, but@the, secretary suggested
he read what LOOMS had said befor
assuming that what he had prepare
: was really an answer to the complain
and counter charges of the assistan
secretary.
Publication of Charges.
In answer to Loomis' countt
charges, that he had procured the pull
SIG LEGATION of the charges, Minister Bowe
says that Charles Saloman and D
Paul, recognized as friends, if NJ
Co. agents., of President Castro, have bee
in Washington for months, and that tt
latLer mas sougnC inc puDllcdIlOn
the charges, but was unsuccessful b
cause the Venezuelan governmel
would not assume responsibility f,
their truth. He contends that tt
stories told by them while in Washin
ton were sent to Caracas for verific
ton, and that the information as
r. the stories to the discredit of Mr.. Lo
mis- were as complete as were relate
to him and submitted to the state
partment for it's information. He
MES that he procured or suggested tt
publication of the matter, which, fro
its nature, was a confidential report
the state department..