Los Angeles herald., 1905-10-02
LATE SEC. HAY
UPHELD LOOMS
IMPORTANT CORRESPONDENCE
MADE PUBLIC
Former Head of State Department
Vigorously Denounced Bowen In
Recent Dispute With the
Assistant Secretary

Mr.. HAYS request I spent at his home
what proved practically the last hour
of his life in Washington. Having upon
the occasion indicated to me fully ana
ucidly, as was his wont, What ne
wished my two colleagues and mysell
to do in the lines of departmental action
and the policy to be carried out during
his absence, he referred to the recent
Bowen episode with much feeling.
Among other things he said he was
disgusted with Bowen beyond express
sion. that vanity appeared to be a dls-
ease with him and that he was poth
disloyal and untruthful, and had peen
treacherous not only to him (Mr. Hay)
but to the country"
I'm view of this conversation, 10
which [ have adverted in the prletest
possible manner, 1t is dffncuit TO pc
lieve that there is any truth In elther
of the foregoing paragraphs Whlch l
have quoted, or any others wnlch nave
been printed of similar import.
"As am very soon to retire from the
nublic service L trust you will not teel
that 1 am not unduly or Improperly
trespassing on your time with TINS
rather personal matter.
Respectfully and sincerely yours,
"FRANCIS b. LOOMIS.'
Mr.. Roosevelt's Reply
The presidents tetter is as follows:
THE White House, oyster Bay, Sep
tember q, 1905.
my dear Loomis:-In answer to
your letter of September 20, L desire
to state. in the broadest and most EN-
phatic manner that the statement you
quote as appearing in certain news
papers and especially in certain New
York newspapers as to the supposed
differences of opinion between myself
and the late Secretary of State Mr..
Hay in respect to the action taken by
me regarding Mr.. Bowen in connec-
tion with the charges against you IS
not merely without foundation in fact,
but is the direct reverse of the truth.
you were appointed assistant sec
retary of state on Mr.. Hays sugges-
ton and request. He never spoke to
me about you save with respect and
cordial appreciation of the services
YOU were rendering and he expressed
to me very great regret that you were
going to leave the service and stated
that he had hoped that you would
stay as long as he did and that he
would find it difficult to get any one IN
your place whom he would like so
much.
"Mr. Hay expressed himself very
freely on the occasion of his last visit
to Washington, as regards action taken
by me on the report of Mr.. Taft con-
cerning the charges made by Mr.. Bowen
against you.
mot only did he express himself
about Mr.. Bowen to me in the language
you quote him as having SAID
at about the same time in speaking
of Mr.. Bowen, but he also condemR1ed
NLr. Bowen in much stronger terms than
those which you quote him as having
used, and dweIt particularly on the
fact of what he called the treachery
and disloyalty of Mr.. Bowen to the
government and to him (Nr. Hay) re-
peating again that most of the charges
Mr. Bowen made We're really no charges
against you at all, but against himself
(Mr. Hay) and that Bowen of course
knew this.
Moreover Mr. Hay used about Mr..
Bowen stronger language of condem-
nation than I have ever heard him use
about any other man who had served
under him. But this was not all. Mr..
Hay then did what he very rarely did.
He expressed his strong dissent from
the action I had taken in indorsins
Mr.. Taft's report as regards even the
stating that he disagreed with Mr.. Taft
and myself on this point and felt that
you were in no way whatever -censur-
able, and that the only action that
had been called for was the dismissal
of Mr.. Bowen and the announcement
of your entire vindication.
Very truly yours,
"tITIJJyOnOTJE T9OOCEUTNT n -