The Washington times., 1906-01-11
BIGELON ATTACKS
WORK Of BOWENS
Sour Grapes, Say Friends of
Administration.
FAMILY RUNS PUBLICATION
Stevens Prolific in Ways of Calling
Author of Canal Charges
Flat Liar.
FAMILY RUNS PUBLICATION

PoultEey Bigelow. author. globe-trot-
ter. all-arOund expert In matters of hu-
man knowledge. ex-chum of the Kaiser
Wilhelm of Germany. and quick trigger
critic of Panama canal affairs. has met
up with a man who Is bigger than the
German Emperor. and who has shown
disposition to sit on the author.
Mr.. Bigelow. in the recent number OF
the Independent OF New York. published
an article. the genesis of which has been
the occasion of much speculation The
Independent is a widely known and in
fiuential weekly paper long owned by
Henry c. Bowen. and now conducted by
Clarence W. Bowen. a brother Of Her
bert w. Bowen. late minister to Vene-
zuela.
Bowens at Base of 1t.
The remarkable attack which the In
dependent has made on the canal man
agement. and through it on the Admin
iStratiOn is commonly supposed to re-
late to the fact that the Bowen family
has not felt kindly toward the Admin
stration since Minister Bowen's troubles
in Venezuela ended with his exit from
the diplomatic service. Whether this
diagnosis is correct or not, friends OF
the Administration point OUT that the
Independent has been in the past. prior
10 the BOWen-VenezueIan incident. an
earnest voice in the choral acclaim OF
devotion 10 the Roosevelt AdmInistra-
tion. The falling-out of the Administra-
tion with Herbert w. Bowen is al
legged by some persons to have close re-
lauonship 10 the sudden disposition of
hga
markable criticism Of Mr.. Roosevelt.
Secretary Taft has issued a pamphlet
OF defense against the BigeIow charges
in the Independent He does not sug-
gest any of these family affairs of the
Bowen family as possible explanations
Of the attitude OF that paper. but other
people do mention them, and the ex-
PLANTATION is most interesting one.
Held Office Often.
The Bowen family. backed by the ,ln-
questionaDly powerful influence OF the
Independent. has required for many
years large amount of Federal patron-
age IN order 10 keep il in good frame
OF mind. At one time. of the sons and
sons-in-law of Henry c Bowen. there
were in Federal offices. il is stated al
least these:
arthur ; Hardy. son-in-law TO Henry
I. Bowen minister TO Spain.
Herbert W. Bowen, a son, minister 10
Venezuela
George c, Holt, a sou-in-Iaw. Federal
Judge
The Independent was strong enough to
Keep Herbert w. Bowen in office
I'M oushout the last Cleveland Admins
trauon, 1t is said. The sage of Prince
ION dldn care 10 have semi-religious
newspaper with a big circulation. ana
"a tone Of absolute disinterestedness
making trouble which he thought could
pe headed on by a careful exercise Of
judgment in bestowal of patronage
AnNaoW that was the notion entertained
pE some VINO had opportunity TO OBJ
serve the career of Herbert w RoNJen
miDistration NJ
But all this is aside from NJ. Bige-
40" ,I dttack on canal management and
lne defense by Secretary Taft. Mr.
blgelow made charges that the sanitary
CONDITIONS IN Colon were serious and
oancer"us; that COlored laborers were
Dtou6hl 10 the !sthmus under misrepre-
SehlAIlon OF conditions as to work and
pay that there is general incompetencv
and excess of red tape in the manage
meht or affairs on the zone: that SAINT
faIi cu1dllons In Panama We're utterly
bad ana that moral conditions are no
better; and that Secretary Taft de-
cliaed, when in Colon last N0vembeT To |
VISIT the purlieus of the town or 10 re- /
celVe John Lundie. an insurgent engt-
hSeI IN private employment there, who !
wished 10 tell the Secretary a good |
many things about real conditions.
Bigelow Merely Called.
Chief Engineer Stevens points out that
Ait' Blgelow whose Independent article /
u written IN "a tone of authority, and /
Claims 10 represent careful inquiry and |
research, was in fact on tho isthrnus |
JUST tWenty-eight hours. Mr.. Stevens /
memorandum on the general subject of /
'lt biseloW charges is the chief defense |
presented by Secretary Taft. Ii is COM /
plete and detailed. taking nm tbese /
charges one by one and pointing out
wherein they are ridiculous. erroneous ~,
absolutely untTue-the last being the
conclusion as TO many of them
The BigeloW incident If IL has accop,
PlSHeu hothlnS else, has served to re.
Veal the fact that in Mr.. Stevens the
commission has not only an able cbieS
engineer. but also "a trenchaDt u-riter
Ills memorandum shows that he can
WELD a pen as artistically as he ever
handled theodOlite
The fOrcefulness and versatility of his
style are Illustrated by the sixteen dir
ferent ways in which he expresses bis
opinion or Mr. BigelOW's Veracity He
begins mildly by chara"teriZlng Bige.
low 5 statement that misrepresentations
have been made in order to secure labor
ers, as 'unqualifiedly false" and this
assertion that vast hOrdes OF workmen
are leaving the isthmus, as without
warrant Warming up to the subiect.
MIR. Stevens labels as entirely false
,he story that one of the steam dredges
Is slowly sinking out of sight in the soft
mud Of Colon.
Absolutely False"