The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-06-21
BOWEN FIRED BY PRESIDENT DiSmiSsedFrom Diplomatic
 Service. LOOMS Is EXHONERATED Roosevelt Indulges in Scath- ing Denunciati0n. Conduct of Man for Some Years Minis ter to Venezuela Described as UnpardopabIe and Showing
 His Unfifness.
LOOMS Is EXHONERATED

Washinuton. June 20-Tht dismissal of Herbert A. Bowen. for some years United States Minister to Venezuela, and the exonerating of Assistant Sec- retary Francis B. Loomis of the aI- legations brought against him by MT. Bowen are the outcome of the Loomis- Bowen controversy, which has attrac- ted wide attention for many months past.
 This disposition of the case Is made by President Roosevelt in letter ad- dressed to Secretary Taft. made public tonight, approving MT. Taft's report on his findings and conclusions in the case.
 The President scathingly arraigns Minister Bowen. declaring that his conduct is especially reprehensible" In that Mir. Bowen asked one of his witnesses to enter the employ Of a cer- tain company for the purpose of '1n plain words, stealing" documents in order that he might incriminate MT. Loomis and that Mir. Bowen has levi dently for many months, indeed, for the last two years. devoted himself" to hunting up scandal and gossip until it became a monomania and caused him ,"to show complete disloyalty" to the country he represented.
 His Usefulness Ended.
 The President says he had hoped to promote Mr. Bowen, as during much of his service he had done good work, but that his usefulness in the diplo- matic service Is now at an end. The President adds tat he would direct MT. Bowen's resignation be required but for his statement that he would consider a resignation an admission of misconduct and the dismissal is therefore ordered
 The President states that 1t appears that Mir. Bowen while minister se- cured the publication of attacks on Mir. Loomis and furnished to the press documents pending before the State de- partment for approval and that his exclamation is inexcusable and shows his entire unfitness" for the service. Even if MT. Loomis had been guilty, says the President, Mir. Bowen's con- 7 dnctswouid be unpardenable. Thsslst- ter quotes certain correspondents and testimony.
 The report of Secretary Taft on the case, on which the Presidents action is based. is a voluminous document. reviewing the charges and the evtden- ces taken.
 In his report Secretary Taft says that there was nothing dishonorable in the transactions in which Mir. Loomis figured but he was not dis erect The report says that MT. Loom is was not justified in becoming per- sonally interested in any of the schemes. either with a mere. nominal interest or substantial interest. He holds, however. that MT. Loomis has been most cruelty slandered," com mends him for the self-restraint with which he has met the charges and points out that Mir. Loomis's bitter ex perience in this case makes it unne cessary to point out the moral that i a minister cannot afford in the coun- try to which he is accredited to make personal investments. etc.
 The Presidents letter to Secretary Taft follows:
 Presidents Letter.
 sir have read your report of June I9 on the Bowen-Lomis matter. I agree with all your findings and conclusions regarding Mir. Loomis and have nothing to add thereto.
 There remains to be considered the case as affecting Mir Bowen, against whom MT. Loomis has made counter charges MT. Bowen has denied that he made charges against MT. Loomis. This is a mere mNtter of terminology. In his letter to Secretary Taft of April 2, beginning My dear Bill" and signed Herbert" he writes As I understood that you are to be the head of the De- partment of State during the absence of Mir Hay. feel that I ought to see that you are fully informed as to the terrible scandal in the situation here. Consequently enclose herewith copies of papers which have been in MT. Hays hands and which will furnish you with the facts that think you should know.
 Then follow certain cablegrams. in cluding a report that MT. Lomis was paid a check and that the custodian of the Bermudez LakA had 1t in his posses sion in this city and also letter prom ising that the United States would not intervene and that the President of Venezuela felt safe because of these facts: a copy of a letter to MT. Hay of February 1S1905. in which MT. Bowen distinctly states his belief that this a1 legged, and. as 1t turns out. wholly ficti- tfous check and wholly fictitious letter, were in the hands of President Castro. who, because he had them. undoubtedly had not feared to refuse arbitration with the United Staes. He then fur nishes documents which he says were found by him in the Legation safe a year ago and were sent by him to Mir. Hay together with many other docu- ments; and MT Bowen states that MT. Hay intimated iH return that he had performed his whole duty in sending these documents to him. Mir. Bowen makes certain comments on the docu- ments as follows. To Mir. Russell. now minister to Colombia through the inffu ence of MT. Loomis' (which statement. incidentally. is untrue.)
 Another "Untruth."
 'Mr Bowen again says, Mir. Loomis collected the Mercado claim from the Venezuelan government, got a share of it for a small sum and never reported the case to the Department of State and again he says, He dealt with Buc- hanan. whom Loomis subsequently, got appointed to Panama (which Is again an untruth. MT. Loomis had nothing to do with either the appointment of MT Russell or MT. Buchanan.l
 Tn MT. Bowens statement. dated at East Orange. May 10, he says I have never preferred charges against Mir. Loomis' Yet three lines further down he says that to his mind it has been proven conclusively that MT. Loomis is "a dishonest official and few lines further down he says that he had not preferred charges against MT Loomls' and that none were needed The docu- ments themselves were charges, evil dence and proof
 The documents. Mir. Bowen explains, were submitted to Mir. Hay in the mpFiuH Of IQ0N and A year had