New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-05-18
BOWEN DISPATCHES LOST.
MISSTNG FROM FILES.
Loomis accepts Copies Case TO
Be Settled on It's Merits.
rFRoM THE TRIBUNE BUREAU

washington May 1.-THE Bowen-Loornls
case which is in its most interesting sl"eo'
will be settled absolutely on It's merlts' anu NV
previous impressions will weigh one lola III nc
termining the final decision OF the secretary '1
War. 1t was admitted by the officials chaIseu
with the investigation to-day that Acting 0e'
retarv Ioomfs stood in the attitude of a de-
fandan+ AGAINST charges preferred by Minister
Bowen, the most serious Of which concerns tiie
$4,000 check given to Mr.. LOOMS by the as
phalt company Friends of Mr.. LOOMS are NOT
in the least concerned regarding his ability 10
prove his entire innocence, ana they "eICoi'i'
the determination of the President ana See'e
+arv Taft to probe. the affair to the bottom ana
settle It absolutely on its merits as insuring the
more complete generation of Mr. Looms.
Mr. Bowen is also on the defensive IN so lar
as Mr.. Loomis's assertion that he was RESPONSE
b16 for tho nuhlication of the charges in the
newspapers is concerned, althcugh 'heie ",e 80.
dicatfons that he will be able to establish ms
ipnooence Of this It is admitted that MI.
Rov,en saws he did not prefer charges against
his superior officer but the gravity or the STATE
u7ants contained in his communication TO oecre-
tarv Taft is so great that the administrator
cannot refrain from regarding them as cnaIse"'
whether it holds that Mr.. Bowen preferred theih
or not.
There was a disposition in some quarters "
day TO attach considerable Importance 10 'll0
fact that two Of the documents which Mllstei
Bowen forwarded to Secretary Hay hao ulsap
neared They consisted Of a letter from PreSl-
dent Castro to Mr.. LOOMS and IAN assignment
made by Mr.. Jaurett to Mr.. LOOMS. The letter
from Castro is said to have introduced ne
eo+iator In behalf of Venezuela concerning an
arranCement with an American syndicate Inc
assignment, its is reported, was of clal'h
against Venezuela. Further Information I'
garding the character of the missing oocu-
nnents is withheld from the public for the pres
emit It was learned at the State Department
that these documents. together with numerous
others having or less bearing on the case
remained on the desk of Secretary Hay for some
weeks before his departure for Europe ana thal
shortly before Mr.. Loomiss Western trip OF a
fcc,,, weeks ago they were handed to him, in or
der that he might remove such papers as per
sonallv belonged to him. When MIR. Bowen
came 10 examine the documents submitted TO
him by Secretary Taft he noticed the absence
of these papers which he regarded as Important
and he advised Mr.. Taft that they were missing
He further asked permission to place in evidence
dnnIicates OF the documents which he had re-
+ained and Mr.. LOOMS offering no oo1ecuon'
the duplicates were accepted. j.
While ice-President Avery D. andrews OF
the asphalt company explained some time ago
10 the President that the check Whlch ms CoHl-
pany handed to Secretary Looms was III eX-
change for Mr.. Loomiss check on a panK IN
caracas that statement in itself will not now
he regarded sufficient TO prove the character OF
the transaction and Mr. LOOMS VIII probably
he called on to show the cancelled check he gave
the asphalt company in return.
It is barely possible that one or two witnesses
will be summoned in the case, although 1t Is
hoped that an understanding can be reached
without so much delay. Meanwhile Secretary
Taft IS striving to preserve purely judicial at
titude pending the closing of the testimony, and
is trying to practise those preCepts which when
on the bench he so often laid down for the guild
ance Of juries.
Dr.. j. de j. Paul, the special Venezuelan en-
voy declares that he has had no connection
whatever with the LOOMS Bowen affair, and
has had no knowledge of the charges or their
source. He says he has consistently abstained
from commenting the affair.