New-York tribune., 1905-06-21

me or attempt to reproduce from memory any
paper / showed to them; and supposed, OF
course that they would present the whole case
to our people, and not merely the Looms scaii-
DALI
INTERVIEWS CONFIDENTIAL.
.In fact, they assured me that the interviews
would be regarded by them as entlreiy colii, Jill
Dental If my name is associated with
the scandal it is only because there was a Dreacia
of faith somewhere" And again in his letter OF
June IA he says: 'I talked with the Herald men m
because they said they would not petraS my M CON,
fidence. They did betray me- ana one %, VI ,no-. H.
even tried to produce from memory the her
cado claim. which 1 showed to MN eo'iiuen-
tally -, ,,
statement as we'll as from the statemeht oa
Messrs. Dater and Biddle and the !etter IIoat. II ~.
Mr. Wright that Mr.. Bowen. While Minister a. a.
Caracas instigated and requested ana actuahy
secured the publication OF attacks on she -
sistant Secretary of State, ana furnisneo 49, 70 @
press copies of documents beneVeu " tl,L Ie,iS
upon the Assistant Secretary of state, Wlicl
documents were already before the secretary VI
State for investigation. Mr.. Bowens excuse IoL
This conduct SO far as it can be made out seems
to be that he expected the newspaper men 70
keep his connection with the charges secret. II
other words he apparently regards ms case s,9
improved that he secured this attack upon ms
official chief in a furtive and underhand man
ner, and that he did not intend that MS coliiiec
ton with the attack should be divulgeo.
OF course such conduct is inexcusaple anu AZ
shows Mr. Bowen's entire unf1tness TO remain IA
the diplomatic service without regard 10
whether the charges he has made against Mr.
Ioonis are true or false. Even if MI Looms
had been guilty. Mr.. Bowen's conduct wou,o el, De
l;nparlonable Inasmuch Secretary IaIt .
careful investigation of the charges shows them
TO be false his attitude appears in an even Worse
light. But it must be kept In mind that nus uIi-
fitness for the service is clearly estaplisneo oy
his own conduct without any reference TO tne
question of Mr.. Loomiss actions The OepaiI
Ynent of state has explicitly forbidden just such
conduct in a general circular Issued over eilree
years ago. reading as follows;
.ncze ,c.7Ncyr TIE,I oAIAT-IC AND CON-
sIJI.AR OFFICERS
Department of State. Washington, April ~, ssos;
To the diplomatic and consular ohlcers VI '
Gentlemen append for your Information 9aa9 Aep apd
s. 800 prohibiting diplomatic and consular of Of
fcers from preferring charges OF onfdegtiaiiy
obadIenf 20 ahe servant anti u JOHN HAY.
EXECUTIVE ORDER.
Whereas the publication of alleged charges and
criticisms against officers of the diplomats ana f
Of BOTH a sdes of the
issue has led to injustice to the persons attacRea
in hiii its 50 disposition of the public business:
1t is hereby ordered that hereafter no oiceF oI
States shall attack prefer charges against or
publicly crticise any other ofncer IN eltne
Whenever any such officer deems that his duty dSty
officer in either service. he shall communicate sueh
which will upon due consideration Of al the CIR
cumstances, make such disposition OF the case as
in its discretion seems wise IN the interest OF Fhe
Viii White House. April 25 1902,
1t appears from the testimony that Caracas is
seething with scandal and that all kinds OF &C
cusations are rife not merely against Mr.
Loomis and Mr. Bowen. but against practically
every other diplomatic representative now re-
siding or who has recently resided there. There
is no excuse whatever for repeating the IN
furious and malicious gossip circulated about
these various men. Mr.. Bowen himself how
ever has not only furnished and brought for
ward a great deal Of such gossip about Mr..
Loonlis, but has evidently been one or the main
sources from which ii originated.
TRIED TO TAMPER WITH CABLE OP-
orator
He tried to tamper with the cable operator
through counsel at La Guayra, Mr.. Gold
schmidt, in order to secure what he hoped would
be discriminating kilograms against Mr.. Loonlis.
Mr.. Goldschnidt's reply was: ut would be dis
honorable TO do what you ask Of me.
Mr.. Goldschmidt, in his letter of May 5, 1905,
says: "N1r Bowen never lost an opportunity to
belittle Mr.. Looms's character, ability, etc.
an. extraordinary animus against his predeces-
sor" Mr. Bowen asked one Of the men he him
self produced a witness, Seilor Pastor, to
enter into the employ of certain company for
the purpose OK obtaining Gin plain words, of
criminate Mr.. Loonlis He has evidently for
many months, indeed, for the last two years,
devoted himself to hunting UP every piece of
scandal gossip of which he heard, affecting
Mr.. Loomi5, until it has seemingly become
monomania with him, and has caused him to
show complete disloyalty to the service to which
he belongs, and therefore to the country which
he has represented. 1t his duty to make
known to his superior officers any facts reflect
ing the honesty of Mr.. LOOMS or any other
officials, but it was breach of his duty to make
loose and reckless charges, and especially to give
these charges public currency after their sub
mission for investigation by the Department.
Mr. Bowen's conduct is especially reprehensi-
bic because of the damage it has undoubtedly
done to the interests of this country. We hold
lying south of US. In all our dealings with these
republics we should endeavor not merely to act
courteously, justly and generously, but to make
1t evident that we are thus acting Any cor
rupt dealing any misconduct, by one of our
representatives to these countries, calls for the
sternest punishment, and, save only corrupt
dealing the worst and most fragrant misconduct
Of which one of these representatives can be
guilty is to give currency to or secure the publi
cation of scandalous attacks upon the service
of which he is a member, or upon one of his
superIors a responsible head of that service
for such attacks certain to be circulated to
the dscredit of government and our people,
not only in the newspapers of our country,
but in the newspapers of the various Latin
American republics. No matter how baseless
they are no matter how complete the refutation
of the charges, they do a damage that cannot be
wholly repaired.
Mr. Bowen has been long time in the con-
sular and diplomatic service; during much of
that time he has done good work, and until
Gently I had hoped to promote him; if I could
condone his misconduct in this case 1 would
gladly do So but his usefulness in the diplo-
matte service is at end. L do nor desire to
punish him: save for the great risk to the
vice which would be involved in his retention
would be willing to let his conduct go unpun-
ished save by a severe admonition; but / feel
that il is impossible to retain him without
posing the interests of the government to risk
so great that it cannot justifiably be incurred
Accordingly I would direct that his resignation
be required, We're it not for the statement made
on his behalf in your presence and mine to-day,
that he would consider resignation adns-
sion of misconduct; accordingly direct that he
be dismissed from the service.
I2nnG,IrIrrrr n,