New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-10-02
HAYS ESTEEM FOR LOOMS
SET FORTH By PRESIDENT.
Late Secretary of State Strongly
Condemned Minister Bogcen.

From The Tribune Bu-eeu.i
Washington, Oct 1.-The President to-day set
at rest for all time the erroneous reports that
Secretary Hay regarded with disapproval the
| exoneration of Assistant Secretary Loomis after
/ the Investigation of the Bowen charges and by
! giving to the press recent correspondence which
passed between himself and Mr. Loomis demon
! strated that the allegation that the latter had
been exonerated and retained in Office against
! the judgment of MIR. Hay was not merely with
! out foundation in fact. but the direct reverse Of
the truth
It appears that Assistant Secretary Loonlis on
! September 25. 1905. appealed TO the President
! for the truth concerning Secretary Hays views,
! as expressed privately TO the President: and
under date Of September p the President wrote
Mr.. Looms follows:
My Dear Mr.. Loomis: In answer to your let
Ter OF September 25 l desire 10 state, in the
nroadest and most emphatic manner. that the
statement you quote as appearing in certain
newspapers and especially i'll 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 connection with
the charges against you is not merely without
foundation in fact but is the direct reverse Of
the truth
You were appointed Assistant Secretary of
State upon Mr.. Hays suggestion and request.
He never spoke to me about you save with re-
Spect 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 in as long as he did. and that he
would find it difficult to get any in your
place whom he would like so much
Mr.. Hay expressed himself very freely on the
occasion of his last visit TO Washington. includ-
ing the last occasion when I ever saw him alive,
as regards the action taken by me on the report
OF MI. Iaft concerning tue charges MADE by
Mr.. Bowen against you. Not only did he ex-
press himself about Mr.. Bowen to in the
language you Quote him as having used at about
I'M IN in Of
but he also condemned Mr. Bowen in much
stronger terms than those which you quote him
as having used, and dwet particularly upon the
fact of what he called the treacheTy and disloy
atty of Mr.. Bowen to the government and to
him (AIr. Hayl. repeating again and again that
most OF the charges Mr. Bowen made were
really not charges against you at all, but against
himself Mr.. Hay}, and that Mr. Bowen, of
course, knew this.
Moreover. Mr Hay used about Mr. Bowen
stronger language of condemnation than I have
ever heard him about any other man who
had served under him. But this was not all
Mr. Hay then did what he very rarely indeed
did He expressed his strong dissent from the
action had taken in indorsing Mr. Taft's re-
port as regards even the mild cenSure or you
which il contained, stating that he disagreed
with both 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 vtndicauon.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
The text of Secretary Loomis's letter, which
brought forth the above denial of the widely
circulated reports, is as follows:
Dear Mr. President: For some time past there
have appeared in various newspapers. including
some of the journals published in New-York,
statements more less direct TO the effect tnar
grave differences Of opinion existed between
yourself and the late Secretary of State, Mr..
Hay, concerning both myself and the action to
be taken by you upon the findings and report
of Secretary Taft in the matter Of the charges
made against me by Mr. Bowen. former United
States Minister TO Venezuela. l will cite case
in point:
Not long ago responsible New-York paper,
TO which I reliably informed upon the best
Mr. Bowen has been freely offering
material for use, printed the following para
Practically the last official act Of Mr. Hays
life was to visit the White House for the purpose
of urging the President not to dismiss Bowen
and to dismiss Loonis, but learning that the
Presidents mind was made UP he went away
with his message unspoken'
Mr.. Hay thoroughly disHked and distrusted
him myself and told the President so but was
unable 10 produce any effect on the Presidents
mind"
Similar suggestions, more or less circum-
stantial in form have frequently appeared in
the public prints that 1 am constrained to in
uuire whether in so far you aware, they
are supported by any basis of truth
do not know what private conversation may
have taken place between yourself and Mr..
Hay concerning me and my course Of conduct
while connected with the public service but do
know from Mr.. Hays own lips something or
his opinion concerning Mr.. Bowen, and 1 know
full well both the uufailiug courtesy with which
MI Hay received my many suggestions concern
ing departmental matters and the personal
cordiality which he always manifested toward
me
In December last I went to Mr. Hays house
and told him that l expected to resign from the
department within the course OF the next eight
or nine months. He was good enough TO say:
= am extremely sorry to hear this; / have al
ways hoped you would remain in your present
nosi+ion as long as I remained in the Cabinet
On other occasions. both before and since that
time Mr.. Hay accorded me seemingly convinc-
Ing proof of his confidence
II may interest you 10 know that at Mr Hays
request spent at his home what proved TO be
practically the last hour of his life in Washing
ION Having on that occasion indicated 10 me.
fully and ucidly was his wont. what he
wished my two colleagues and myself to do in
tho lines of departmental action ana policy to
he carried out during his absence he referred to
ing Among other things. he said that he
with Bowen beyond expression: that
vanity appeared TO be a disease with him. and
that he was both disoyal and untruthful. and
had been treacherous not only TO him (Mr Hay). |
In lew Of this conversation. 10 which I have
di47cuIt for me 10 believe that there is any
truth in either Of the foregoing paragraphs
which I have quoted or any others which have
been printed of similar import
As I am very soon 10 retire from the pubic
service trust you viii not feel that am unduly
or improperly trespassing upon your time with
Respectfully and sincerely yours.
FRANCIS 3. LOOMS.
It Is doubtless particularly gratifying to Mr.
Toon7is nov that he is about TO retire from the
public service to have these facts and especially
the high estimation in which he held by the
late Secretary HAY. set forth in a manner which
leaves not the s>ghtest ground for further doubt
KILLED By HIS ST'EPSON. !