The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1905-06-22
BOWEN END
OF THECASE
Former Minister to Venezuela
Replies
LOOMS NOT HONEST
: PREDECESSOR 5 Administration Of the
Office Mas Characterized by
Extensive Graft.
LOOMS NOT HONEST

NEW YORK. June 2e-IIerbcrt W.
Bowen. formerly minister 10 NeneEu.
Ella. has made public hero a statement
In reply 90 President HoOscyelt's lot.
ter disnlsslng him from the diplomatic
service AZ a result OF the investigation
made by Secretary Taft into the con.
troversy between ME Bowen and
Francis u LOOMS. frst assistant sec.
Rotary Of state.
Air Bowen declares the venezuelan
scandal constitutes national dis
grace" lie asserts that "the LOOMS
scandal" pcrvadod Caracas aud con.
siantly grew worse aud worse" Mr.
Bowen says that shortly after he call.
ed the matter 90 the attention OF tho
department OF state he received ca.
BILE offer from Washington OF diplo-
matte promotion that would remove
him from Caracas.
Il admit" be declares. "that re.
garded the Offer as an attempt 20 brlbe
me. yelled under the offer 81 a higher
position and inspired by Mr.. LOOMS.
make no doubt that IN the course ~
the recent inquiry IL has been suni-
ciently plain that did not think Mr..
Loomis an honest man and that did
not believe his conduct as minister 10
Venezuela had been honorable"
Mr. Bowen says the recent depart.
mental inquiry should not prevent ian
ffrar.urflaI hoo
ough Investigation into all the facts.
Suppression Of truth will never es-
tablish H." he adds Tolerance OF
evil will never crush H. No Office.
however high. should shelter a wrong
doer"
When he went 10 Venezuela in 1901
as successor to Mr.. LOOMS, Mr.. Bow
en- declares he found current rumors
seriously affecting the honor and in
tegrity Of his predecessor both as
man and as representative OF the Unit
ed States government Mr. Bowen
says that. feeling sense OF pride in
representing the United States. these
rumors were source OF continual
modification to him. Epitomizlng the
rumors. Mr. Bowen says
"Mr. Loomls while minister was re-
ported to have used his public position
TO ill his private purse by obtaining
interests In concessions and In vari-
Gus claims against the Venezuelan
government. He was commonly
thought also to have been in the pay
% h.. nar,x,tI..1 Ag,.1.nlt NJ
TO have made use of his own official
position to give color 10 the belief that
the United States government was
especially favorable 10 the side of that
company in its controversy with the
Venezuelan authorities. | had no
means OF refutng these scandalous
statements. Their substantial truth
was assumed by my diplomatic col
leagues as well az by the general pub
lie at Caracas"
Referring to the documents left by
his predecessor IN the legation at Ca
racas and forwarded by Mr. Bowen to
the state department, the latter says
II cannot better express my own
feelings in regard to their contents
than in the words OF the secretary of
state who in his letter acknowledging
their receipt said. 4 have been great
ly surprised and panied in reading the
documents you sent me-"
Mr.. Bowen tells of sending to the
state department information of the
report current in Caracas that an In
eliminating check to Mr.. Loomis and
letter from him to the governmental
custodian of the asphalt property
promising that the United States
would not intervene in Venezuela were
In the hands of one of President Cas-
tro's friends"
Shortly afterward," he continues,
81 received cable from the state de-
partment offering to me a post that
was tasended to he my stepping stone
to an enthusiastically. II seemed ~
me that in the circumstances my dull
to the United States demanded that |
should stay, for the present at least, |
in Caracas, and | declined the offer, |
personally advantageous as it was to |
myself,
Currently with the report in Cara !
cas- that President Castro had posses |
sion of documents directly incriminat- I
Ing The fr't assistant secretary of i