The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1905-05-24
SCME PAPERS MISSING
Mr.. Bowen Sent Them With Charges
Against Mr.. LCOmis.
BOTH OFFICIALS MAY Be DROPPED.
Sufficient Progress Has Been Made In the Inves-
tIgatlon Of the Charges Against Mr.. Loomls
Forwarded From Caracas BY Minister Bow
en- to Convince the Administration That liz
Course Is Quite Clear on Two Points.

Washington, D. C., (SpeciaD Her
bert w. Bowen, Aemrcan Minister to
Venezuela who transmitted TO the State
Department reports that affected the Of
fetal integrity OF Francis B. Loomis, AS
sistant Secretary Of State, informed Sec
retary Taft that two important papers
which he had sent 10 the State Depart
ment in connection with these charges
were missing from the mass OF reports,
dispatches and documents returned to
him for the purpose of rendering a COM
prehensive brief of his position. This
caused a commotion in the State Depart
ment and in Secretary Tafts Office
Mr.. Bowen explained that he had sent
the charges. which were current in Car
acas, to Mr.. Hay, accompanied by vari-
ous documents vital to the matter. He
said that among these papers, which he
received back from Secretary Taft, he
failed to find a letter written by Presi-
dent Castro, of Venezuela, to Mr.. Loom
is, then Minister to Venezuela, or all as
signment made to Mr.. Looms by A. +.
Jaurctt. then editor OF the Venezuela
Herald, since expelled from Venezuela
by President Castro aud -, whose be-
half the State Department is now press
ing a claim of $4,000 against the South
American Republic, What kind OF an,
assignment Mr.. Jaurett made TO Mr..
Loomis cannot be learned.
Secretary Taft Immediately sent to the
/ State Department an inquiry about the
matter. But the State Department Of
hcials could not find the papers. MIR.
| Taft learned from various sources that
the communication from Mr.. Bowen,
presumably containing the documents now
missing had long laid upon the desk of
| Secretary Hay Early in March Mr..
Loomis was about to make trip to Cal
ifornia. Secretary Hay handed to him
the entire correspondence and, Secretary
| Taft is Informed, directed Mr.. Loomis
to take therefrom such papers rs be-
longed to him. Mr. Loomis did so.
Among the papers which he took, Sec
retary Taft is informed, was certih-
cate of stock which Mr. Bowen says mad
no relation 10 the present case. There
were also other papers, presumably left
at the American Legation in Caracas
when Mr.. Loomis left.
Mr.. Loomis promptly told Mr.. Taft
that he was perfectly willing that Minis
ter Bowen should replace the missing
documents with dulcates if he had them.
Mr. Bowen said that he had and he
handed them to Secretary Taft later.
Sufficient progress has been made in
the investigation of the charges against
Assistant Secretary Loomis forwarded
from Caracas by Minister Bowen TO con-
vince the Administration that its course
is quite clear on these two points:
That Mr. Bowen must be requested
to leave the diplomatic service because
of his indiscretion in bandying the
charges about when his statements, if
made at all, should be made only to his
official superors.
That Mr. Loomis should not remain
in the Office of Assistant Secretary Of
State. 1t is the view OF the Admins
traton that he should be promoted to
an Ambassadorship if further investi-
CATION of the charges proves them un-
founded, or that he should be requested
to resign from the service if they should
be substantiated.