The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1905-06-21
BOWEN
IS FIRED
President Has Dismissed tx.
Minister to Venezuela
LOOMS CHARGES FAILED
Assistant Secretary ExOneraied by
the Investigation Of
Taft.
LOOMS CHARGES FAILED

WASHINGTON. june 2i.-Ihe dIs.
missal ~ Herbert W Bowen. fur suinv
years United States minister io Nruc.
zuela. aud the exuneruiion Of Assist.
ant Secretary ~ State Francis - Loo.
mis- of the allegations brought against
him hy Mr. Rowcn are the outcome OF
the loomis iowru controversy. which
has attracted wide attention for mauy
months past
This disposition ~ ihr ease il made
hy President Roosevelt boz letter nd.
dressed 90 Secretary Tart mndr public
last night approving Mr. Tnft's report
on his finding, aud conclusions boo tho
case.
la bis report Secretary Taft says
that there wis nothing dishonurnhlc in
the transactions Zoe which Mr. LOOMS
figured. but that be- was not discreet
The report says that Mr. l.nomis was
not Justified in becoming personally
interested in any OF the schemes either
with a mere nominal interest or sub.
siautlal Interest lie holds however
that Mr. LOOMS has been most cruel
~ slandcred" aud commends him for
the self restraint with which be- has
met the charges
IL appears from Mr.. l,owcus state
ment as we'll as from the statement
OF Msssrs. Datcr aud BIddlc and the
letter from Mr. Wright that Mr.. Bow.
en- while minister az Caracas iustignt.
ed aud requested aud actually secured
the publication ~ attacks on the as
slstant secretary ~ state and furnish
cd 10 the press copies ~ documents be-
lieved 10 reflect upon the assistant sec
rotary Of state. which documents were
already before the secretary OF state
for investigation
Mr.. Bowcn's excuse for this conduct.
so Gar rs Il can be- made out. seems 20
be that he expected the newspaper
men 20 keep his connection with tho
charges secret In other words, he APP
parently regards his case as improv-
ed. that he secured this attack upon
his official chief In a fiirtive and I'M
derhand manner and that he did not
intend that his connection with the at
tack should be divulged
The president scathingly arragns
Minister Bowen, declaring that his
conduct lis especially reprehensible,
that Mr. Bowen asked one of his wit
nesscs to enter the employ Of a certain
company for the purpose lin plain
words of stealing documents which
he hoped might incrminate Mr. Loo
mis- and that Mr.. Bowen has evident
ly for many months, indeed for the
last two years devoted himself" to
hunting up scandal and gossip until it
became a monomania and caused him
ito show complete dsloyalty" to the
country he represented. The president
says he had helped to promote Mr..
Bowen, as during much of his service
he had done good work. but that his
usefulness in the diplomatic service is
now at an end.
The president adds that he would di-
rect that Mr. Bowen's resignation be
requested but for his statement that he
would consider resignation an ad-
mission of misconduct, and the dis
missal Is therefore ordered. The letter
quotes correspondence and testimony.
The president states that Ii appears
that Mr.. Bowen while minister secured
the publication of attacks on Mr. Loo
mis- and furnished to the press docu-
ments pending before the state depart
ment for approval and that his expla-
nation Is inexcusable and shows his
entire unfitness" for the service. Even
If Mr.. LOOMS had been guilty. says
The president, Mr. Bowen's conduct
would be objectionable The letter
quotes certain correspondence and tes-
timony. The report of Secretary Taft
on the case on which the presidents
action is based Is a voluminous docu-
ment reviewing the charges and the
evidence taken. The presidents letter
says
Mr.. Bowen has denied that he made
charges against Mr.. LOOMS. This is
mere matter of Technology. In his
letter to Secretary Taft of April .. be-
ginning My dear Bill' and signed Her
bert he writes: As understand that
you are to be the head of the depart
ment of state during the absence of
Mr. Hay | feel that | ought to see that
you are fully Informed as to the ter