The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1905-05-10


Venezuela. In brief, these charges
rae to the effect that as minister, Mr..
LOOMS accepted $4,000 from the
New York and Bermuda Asphalt Co.,
in compensation for his services in
their behalf; that Mr.. Loomis pur-
chased a claim Of $4,000 against the
Venezuelan government and used his
influence to collect it; and, that Mr..
LOOMS undertook to collect a claim
for G. Mr.. Meyers for commission
Bowen forwards these charges to Sec
retary Taft, over his own signature,
and Secretary Taft forwarded the
communication to the president who
was already in the west.
Not contented, however, with hav-
ing done this, Mr.. Bowen grew i'm
patient at hearing no echo Of the Sc
rious charges he had preferred and
he furnished the details of the
charges to certain newspaper CORES
pondent in. Caracas. The whole story
was then mailed to this country and
appeared in large type on the front
page Of the New York dailieS. Even
were the charges true, Minister Bow
en- was guilty of a grave indiscretion
and violation Of courtesy in making
them public in advance Of some reply
to his communication to Secretary
Taft and only unpardonably bad
judgment or ungovernable spleen
against his superior officer could ac-
count for this course.
When the charges were first made
public Mr. LOOMS was absent from
Washington but Immediately on his
return he furnished to the newspapers
categorical denial of each and all Of
the charges. He explained that he
had had one financial transaction
with the New York and Bermudez
Asphalt Company, but only to the ex-
changing Of his check on Venezue-
Ian bank for the companys check on
New York bank when he left Caracas
at the conclusion Of his service as
minister, this being not unusual
among American ministers in Cara
cas- and elsewhere, where the rate of
exchange is high and sometimes ex-
change cannot be secured at any
price. Of course the transaction was
unimporatant and could not place
either party under material obliga-
ton to the other may even have been
IA mutual accommodation. Every
other transaction undertaken by Mr..
Loomis as minister to Venezuela, he
declares he undertook only as re-
suit of explicit instruction from the
secretary of state. Beyond this denial,
Mr.. LOOMS has declined to discuss
the charges.
That an official statement from one
of Secretary LOOMS superiors will be
ultimately made is generally assumed
and it is regarded as probable that
the necessity of issuing such a state
ment has played an important part
in determining the president to curtail
his hunting trip. There are, however,
other question of Importance which
await the attention of the president.
There are, for instance, some ques-
tons connected with the Panama
problem which he must consider at an
early day. One Of these is the dispo-
sition that is to be made of John Bar
rett, now minister to Panama. Bar
rett is desirious Of securing promo
ton and in any event it is unlikely
that he can retain his present posi-
ton. Another question which will
demand the presidents attention in
the near future is the disposition OF
the engineer members Of the Pana-
ma canal commission to make trouble
because they regard themselves as
somewhat overslaughted in the pres
ent organization Of the commission.
Still another question which will
compel the attention OF the president
at no distant date is the constantly in
creasing treasury deficit. This has
now assumed somewhat alarming pro-
portions, being at practically the end
of May, $4,000, ,0oe. Treasury experts
claim that it will be reduced during
the next two months and this Is not
improbable as many funds appro-
priated by congress haze been cx-
hausted, but i, is flank; admitted
that it cannot possibly he reduced to
naywhere near Secretary Shaw's es-