Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-12-22
TAFT WELCOMES
AN Investigation
Now Eager for Merciess Probing
OF the Entire Pinchot- Bal
inger Controversy.
PRESIDENTS EYES OPENED
Has Become Convinced There Is an
Organized Movement to Discrcdlt
His Administration.

Washington. Dec, 21.-Any doubt that
E tion is to be behind the investigation
demanded by both Sides of the so-called
Ballnser- Plnchot controversy was dis
PEELED by events in and out OF Congress
today. There is now no question that
President Taft himself Is as eager for
the merciless probing OF the whole mat
ter as hitherto he has been reluctant
TO admit the. necessity of it.
A motive much deeper than willing
ness TO do Justice to Seoy. BallIngcr Is
ascrIbed 10 President Taft by senator's
representatives and others active In
& politics
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. CON
SPTRACY.
Men in a position to know the senti-
ments of Mr.. Taft declared tonight that
be has at last become convinced Of the
truth Of what his friends have been
telling him Tor many weeks-of what
he has hitherto llughed at-that there
Hes behind the attack on Mr. Balllnger
e moro or less definitely organized
movement TO discredit the Taft admin
istlation, especially b. spreading the
Impression that tho so-called "Roosc-
welt policies" are in unfriendly hands,
that Mr.. Ballinger was made the target
only ON the theory that he offered the
most vulnerable point in the admins
tIation.
Because he WAS loath to believe that
such d propaganda was under way.
Mr. Taft opposed every suggestion from
Mr. Elllinger or his friends that at
tacks upon the land Office should be
met with determination to reach and
expose those responsible. Though slow
TO come to Il decision, II is known that
Sir Taft is now inclined to believe that
the criticisms that have cropped out In
many widely separated localities are
part of a deliberate determination to
make trouble. which amounts practical
Ivy To a conspiracy.
The first step In paving the way for
a congressional investigation was taken
today, Senator Flint introduced reso-
luton In the senate directing the attor-
ney general to send to the senate all
papers In his possession that relate to
the case. These papers inclu5e the re-
port of l.. Il. CLAWS. dismissed special
agent of the general land office, who
sought to connect Mr.. Ballinger with
The Cunningham coal land cases in q
manner rejecting upon his integrity.
These records are the ones on which
The president based his exoneratlon of
his secretary of the interior
The Flint resolution was adopted and
some time later it was learned that 1t
had been drafted by Atty Gen. Wick
ersham and that ii was one of the mat
tiers considered at the White House
conference yesterday when the attor~
ney general Mr.. Ballinger and Post
master General Hitchcock diSjcussed
With the president the advisalbillty of
approving a congressional investiga-
ton.
This knowledge led to the thought by
senators that these records may be far
more extensive than generally sup
posed. Adoption OF the Flint resolution
WAS followed by the presentation by
Senator Jones OF Washington of letter
from Mr.. Ballinger, urging an Inquiry
Of the broadcast scope and expressing
the opinion that it would disclose that
CERTAIN officers of the forest servlce had
been guilty OF perniclous activity In
Inspiring charges against him. Mr..
Zones gave notice that unless some 9TH
er senator did so he would offer a res
clution calling for joint congressional