Milford chronicle., 1905-06-30
WASHINGTON LETTER.

The President not content with having
instituted negotiations which promise to
bring about peace between Russia and
Japan, is now trying diligently to arrange
an armistice between the opposing arm
les. Of course the subjest partaking as it
does of a military character, is a most del
icate one and the President could not
urge the arrangement on either power
unless he were in position to offer some
guarantee with regard to the attitude of
the other, which he obviously cannot do.
He is, nevertheless, presenting in the
strongest possible light the humane side
Of the proposition.
At present there seems to be little like
lihood that the Presidents humane eff
forts will prove successful because of the
insistence by Japan that she cannot risk
a loss of the strategic advantages she now
enjoys in Manchuria without some more
definite and frank indication from Russia
than she desires peace than that Nation
has thus far given, even in her somewhat
equivocal response to the Presidents
identical note. Russia on the other
hand, pursuing her time honored policy
of avoiding every semblance of frankness
in her diplomacy, positively refuses to
commit herself. Japan, somewhat nat
urally, assumes that Russia will be com
PEELED to adopt more reasonable attitude
when the battle for which Oyama is now
preparing has been iSught. This view
is generally shared in the diplomatic
corps in Washington but there is, natur-
ally, deep regret that the battle which
must inevitably result in fearful loss Of
life, cannot be prevented. There are a
few diplomats of more sanguine temper
ament who insist that it may be possible
for the President to succeed in his hu-
name negotiations even where any other
man would fail.
The President and Secretary Taft have
between them brought the Loomis- Bowen
case to a close after very thorough in
vestigation of every phase of the affair
and the exonoration of Secretary Loomis,
of dishonesty, although Secretary Taft
was compelled to censure Mr.. Loomis
for his indiscretion in engaging in enter
prises which might have placed him in
a compromising position between his
duty as a minister and his personal in
terests. The President sent 90 Secretary
Taft a scathing letter Of rebuke 50 Bowen,
concluding with an order that Mr.. Bowen
be dismissed. Reading between the lines
Of the Presidents letter it is obvious
that his indignation against Bowen was
chiefly due to the fact that Bowen, in
pursuance Of a hobby regarding Secretary
Loomis' lack OF dishonesty, was guilty Of
a thorough lack Of loyalty. Secretary
Loomis on the other hand, while guilty /
OF indiscretion in some directions, has .
always been noted for bis loyalty to the /
administration and to the United States.
Secretary Taft, who conducted the inves-
tigation,i is still convinced of Bowen's en-
tire honesty, although he is equally con-
WINGED that he is almost a monomaniac
on the subject Of Mr.. Loomis' character
BY standing by his friend, Paul Morton,
Secretary of the Navy, the President has
incurred severe criticism but the Presi-
dent is himself possessed Of too much red
blood 10 look at many matters from a
purely Judicial standpoint, and he is in
this completely convinced that Secretary I
Morton was wholly and absolutely inno-
cent Of any responsibility for the illegal
rebates granted by the sante Fe. The
President moreover gives great credit to
Mr.. Morton for the frank and manly d
stand be took before the Interstate Com &