The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-06-21


OF Fa,sehooa, or Dlslo, atty. OF Making
Loose AMI RecIties, Charges Against
Ills Predecessor ami OF Corrupt D,ll.
Ing Carried His spite to such Lengths
! That the Countr,'s Interests sn'.
rerch-H Cleared He'd Have Hem
Promoted -1oonl, Ma, Get New JOB.
I WAsuINGroN. June 90 Herbert ".
Bowen Of New York. United States Minister
10 Venezuela, was to-day dismissed from
that Office and from the diplomatic ser
vice Of the United States by order of Prc,i-
dent Roosevelt for having preferred charges
against Asst .,ant Secretary of State francis
B. LOOMS, which Secretary Taft reported
| to the President were false. and for having
! instigated attacks in the newspaper press
upon the character of MIR. loomis
Secretary Taft to whom the President
entrusted the duty of investigating Mr..
Bowen's charges against Mr.. LOOMS and
Mr.. Loomis's counter charges against Mr.,
Bowen, e1onerated Mr.. LOOMS as far a.
the allegations affecting his integrity were
concerned, but admonished that official
for his personal participation in business
affairs in Venezuela while serving az the
! United States Minister to that Govern
ment
I In approving Secretary Taft's report
Presi 'eut Roosevelt ga va a brief two lines
/ to the findings and conclusions of Mr.
Taft with reference to Mr.. LOOMS, saying
/ merely that he agreed with them and had
nothing to add thereto.
Presiden, Roosevelt devoted thirteen
! typewriter pages to his review of the re-
port made 10y Secretary Taft in regard 10
Mr.. Bowen He handled Mr.. Bowen with
| out gloves holding that he had been guilty
Of attempting by tampering with tele-
| graph operator, to obtain certain documents
! by surreptitious means, lin plain words. OF
| stealing" to quote the President; OF dis.
loyalty to the diplomatic service, OF false
! hood of making loose and reckless charges
and of corrupt dealing
In the documentary evidence Of this case
it is shown that President Roosevelt had
felt very kindly toward Mr. Bowen until
the charges of the latter against Mr.. LOOMS
became a subject Of investigation mad IN
fact intended to promote him.
A telegram sent by Secretary Taft to Mr..
Bowen, informing him Of his recall from
Venezuela, contained promise that If MIR.
Bowen were cleared OF the charges pre-
ferred against him by Mr. LOOMS he would
be appointed Minister to Chile, and subso-
uuently Ambassador to Brazil.
TAFT HAD HARD TASK.
Like the President, Secretary Taft did not
mince words in his references to what had
been shown by the evidence concerning
Mr. Bowens conduct and he was very
frank but Kindly in the admontion which
he delivered to Mr., LOOMS, Mr.. Tafts
position ~ the investigator OF the Bowen
LOOMS saandal was particularly deicats
and irksome from the fact that he was a
ca,sma,e and old friend of Mr.. Bowen and
a fellow townsman of Mr.. LOOMS, with
whom he had also been intimately ac-
Iuainted for many years.
The President has intended all along
that if Mr. LOOMS were Nndicated he
should he promoted in the Government
service and the understanding was that
he would he sent to Mexico as AMI assador
or TO Japan as Minister. Whether in view
of Secretary Taft opinion that Mr.. LOOMS
had taken part in business transactions
while Minister to Venezuela which were
likely to give rise TO comment rejecting
. upon the Government, the President will
feel that Mr.. Iooms is entitled to a pro-
motion in order to emphasizes his vindi-
cation has not been disclosed hut 1t is
believed that Mr.. LOOMS will DO appointed
to another position, which will be in the
nature Of q compliment.
Secretary Tsfts report to the President
on his inquiry into the charged and counter
charges in the Bowen LOOMS case would
fill many columns Of THE SrN. He re-
viewed every charge in detail and in eS-
tremely clear and forcaful language gave
his opinion. In concluding his report he
took occasion to refer particularly to what
had been brought out with reference to the
LEGGED wrongful transactions of Mr.,
LOOMS In this connection he said
LOOMS CRuElIY sI.ANDERED.
"No one can read this evidence without
! being convinced that Mr. LOOMS has been
mcst cruelty slandered in the charges
against his integrity and sincerity as a
/ public official and as a man. but in the very
great satisfaction that we find in his COM
plete eXculpation from all charges of dis-
! honesty We cannot he blind to the ia It that
his failure t. hold himself utterly aloof
/ from any personal participation in plans
! for investments and exploitation OF ths
/ country to which he was accredited and
! from allowing himself to take personal
/ interest in the transactions in which he or
T hi, legation might ais have to act IA in q
= trust capacity has possibly lent color II
the aspersions upon his character which
his enemies have been only too willing To
/ make and support.
Il cannot close this without commenting
! the dignity ard self-restraint with which