Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-09-05


Copyright. 1909 by Clinedinst, Washington. D. c.
in Washington l have private engagements
which will. in all probability, take me
abroad
The President has made an admirable
selection in choosing Mr.. Bacon for my
successor. Indeed. no President ever strove
more earnestly and persistently to get good
men into the public service than does Pres
ident Roosevelt
Feeling deeply the charges that have been
made against him relating to his service
minister to Venezuela, Mr.. LOOMS de-
cided yesterday to make full answer. His
reply includes a sweeping denial of the
most recent charge, that his appointment
as minister to Venezuela in 1897 was pro-
cured by Charles l.. kurtZ of Ohio, James
A. Radcliffe of Brooklyn and others then
interested in or expecting to benefit through
him from valuable concessions in Venezuela.
Mr.. Loems says:
For some months past the New York Her
aid. in addition to providing material of
more or less moment concerning Venezuela
and the business relations of American
citizens and corporations in that country
for the perusal of its readers. has seen fit.
by suggestion and innuendo, to intimate
that at one time or another l have &C
quired or had some personal interest in the
concessions Of or claims against that gov
eminent, con 'rary to the proprieties of the
official positions which l have at one time
or another fulfilled. In its issue of April
&c last certain of such matters were re-
cited, and in the issue of the next day
such matters were again referred to. On
the latter date | made and furnished to
the press specific and categorical denial
of any wrongdoing either personal Of
fetal, in connection with any of such mat
tiers. In that denial, among other things,
I said:
| never purchased or owned or had any
interest in any claim against the Venezue-
Ian government. and l never prosecuted in
any manner or form any claim against
hnf ~. 80
instructions from the Secretary of State,
after submitting "a full report of the case
TO him.
| never agreed or promised or suggested
directly or indirectly in any manner what
ever that l would use my influence to ad-
Just obligations against the Venezuelan
government.
Charges Seven in Number.
Since the publication of the denial in ques-
ton certain charges of a more or less spe-
cifc character referring, among other
things, to the very matters indicated in the
original charges, were submitted to the
President, and by his direction investigated
and reported upon by the Secretary of War
The charges so investigated and reported
upon, all of which We're supposed in some
way to reflect upon my personal or official
cCrouct, were seven In number. AS to the
first charge, which in substance was that
l had sustained improper relations toward
or improperly received money from a GER
tain asphalt company, the Secretary of War
reported:
There is not a scintilla of competent evil
deEce to sustain this charge.
As to the second charge, VIII oh was in sub
starce that | was improperly concerned in
or connected with the so-called Mercado
claim, the Secretary of War reported:
The evidence MAKES clear, therefore, that
M Looms had nothing whatever to do
with the prosecution of the Mercado claim
in 1899. or previous to that time; that the
Mer cado claim was acknowledged as a valid
claim in September, 1899, by the secretary
OF the treasury of Venezuela. and that that
secretary made an arrangement for the
payment of the claim out of the salt bonds
III a definite contract which gave MercadO
second lien or mortgage upon the salt
bonds after the Spanish claim was paid.
and that this all occurred before Mr..
LOOMS, who was absent, knew anything
about the claim of Mercado.
AS to the third charge, which in sub
stance that had entered the employ of a
syndicate to secure and carry out con-
tract for refunding Venezuelan loans in
consideration of one-seventh of the profits
to be realized from such transaction, the
Secretary of War reported:
II is apparent to me that in this case Mr.
Loomis had not done other than to use his
| good offices to bring together the head OF
| the Venezuelan government and a person
| who possibly might have aided the NeneZue-
| Ian government In readjusting and refund
4
| did intend to resign If the loan went
| through in order to take charge of the in
| tel ests of the syndicate 1t must be
| presumed in his favor that had the nego-
| tiations continued he would have advised
| President Castro of his intention to become
personally interested in the transaction and
| OF his intention to resign for this purpose
but the matter never reached such point.
With respect to the fourth charge, which
| was in substance that l had improperly in
| terfered with certain negotiations being had
between my successor at Caracas and the
Venezuelan government. and the fifth
| charge that / had had certain improper
| correspondence with the manager of the
| Quinlan Asphalt Company, the Secretary
| OF War reported that they were wholly un
| founded
| Nothing Dishonorable.
With respect to the sixth charge, which
| was. In substance. that l had acted as the
agent of the owners in securing the incor-
| poration In the United States of a company
| to exploit certain mines in Venezuela, and
| the seventh charge. which was. in sub
stance, that / was interested in the pro-
| posed construction of a certain railroad
| along the Orinoco river, the Secretary OF
4 Nrn- rtnI laat