The daily morning journal and courier., 1905-06-21

due consideration of both sides of the questions at issue. has led 10 injustice to the persons attacked and to embar- rassment to the department of state in its disposition of the public business:
 Tt is hereby ordered that hereafter no officer of the diplomatic or consular service of the United States shall at tack, or prefer charges against. or pub liely crlticise any other officer in either service, except in a communication to the department of state.
 Whenever any such officer deems it his duty eompels him to prefer charges against any other officer in either ser vice, he shall communicate such charges confdentially to the department of state, which will, upon due considera- ton of all the circumstances, make such disposition of the case. as in its discretion seems wise in the interest of the public businsss.
 ." (Signed) Theodore Roosevelt.
 White House, April 25, 1902"
 It appears from the testimony that Caracas is seething with scandal, and that all kinds of accusations are rife, not merely against Mir. Loomis and Mir. Bowen, but against practically every other representative now residing, or who has recently resided there. There is no excuse whatever for repeating the injurious and malicious gossip cir culated about these various men. MT. Bowen himself, however, has not only furnished and brought forward great deal of such gossip about MT. Loomis, but has evidently been one of the main sources from which it originated. He tried to tamper with the cable operator,
 through our consul at La Guaira, MT. Goldschmidt, in order to secure what he hoped would be discriminating charges against MT. Loomis. MT. Goldschmidt's reply was: It would be dishonorable to do what you ask of me-
 MT. Goldschmidt, in his letter of May |5, 1905, says: MT. Bowen never lost an opportunity to belittle Mir. Loomis' character, ability, etc., when he spoke to me of him, and seemed to bear an
 extraordinary animus against his pre-
 decessor."
 MT. Bowen asked one of the men he himself produced as witness -Senor Pastor-to enter into the employ of certain company for the purpose of ob- taining Gin plain words, of stealing) documents which he hoped might in- ,criminate Mir Loomis. He has evident ly for many months, indeed, for the last two years, devoted himself to hunting up every piece of scandal or gossip of which he heard, affecting MT. Loomis, until it has seemingly become a monomania with him, and has caused him to show complete disloyalty to the service to which he belongs, and, there fore, to the country which he has rep resented. It was his duty to make known to his superior officers any facts Irefiecting on the honesty of Mir. Loom lis, or any other officials, but it was Q breach of his duty to make loose and reckless charges. and especially to give these charges public currency after their submission for investigation by the department. .,v ,e Mir. &Bowen's conduct is especially reprehensible because of the damage it has undoubtedly. done to the interest of this country. We hold peculiar po-
 
 south of us. In all our dealings with these republics we should endeaYor not merely to act courteously, justly and generously but to make 1t evident that we are thus acting. Any corrupt dealing, any misconduct by one of our representatives to these countries, calls for the sternest punishment, and, save only corrupt dealing, the worst and most fragrant misconduct of which one of these representatives can be guilty is to give currency to or secure the publication of scandalous attacks upon the service of which he is a member, or upon one of his superiors, a responsible head of that service; for such attacks are certain to be circulated to the dis credit of our government and our peo- pie, not only in the newspapers of our own country, but in the newspapers of the various Latin-A American republics. No matter how baseless they are, no matter how complete the refutation of the charges, they do a damage that cannot be wholly repaired.
 MT. Bowen has been a long time in the consular and diplomatic service. DutilS hiuIh oL IiltI Gtiit HS l1dS llUIie good work, and until recently I had hoped to promote him. If I could con- done his misconduct in this case would gladly do so, but his usefulness in the diplomatic service is at an end. do not desire to punish him, save for the great risk to the service which would be involved in his retention. would be willing to let his conduct go Iunpunished save by severe admoni- tion ,but feel that it is impossible to retain him without exposing the inter- tests of the government to a risk so great that it cannot justifiabiy be in- cured. Accordingly would direct that his resignation be requested were lit not for the statement made on his behalf, in your presence and mine, to- day, that he would consider a resigna- ton an admission of misconduct Ac- Icordingly direct that he be dismissed from the service.
 (Signed) Theodore Roosevelt. The letter of Secretary Taft to the president reporting on his inquiry into the case, says the evidence shows that the only transaction which Mir. Loomis fever had with the New York and Ber- mudez Asphalt company was a mere transfer of funds from Caracas to New York, in which MT. Loomis was indis- erect in becoming personally interested t.,z LI@1 nh 1-s.