Los Angeles herald., 1909-12-21
President to Investigate
Charges Which Have
Caused Breach
ULTTMATUM is GIVEN
Secretary Insists on Immediate
Action and Important Rev.
elatiOnS Are PrOba-
BILE Very Soon
Associated Pressl

\ N
w Taft today yielded to the de-
mands of both Secretary Balln-
ger and his critics for public investi-
CATION of the whole subject matter
underlying the so-called Ballinger-
Plnchot controversy.
Mr.. Ballinger this afternoon served
| upon the president virtually an ulti-
matum to the effect that such an in
vestigation was indeed the price of his
remaining in the cabinet. He made 1t
clear that he was no longer willing to
sit silent and walt for the thing ito
| blow over"
Mr.. Taft. 1t is said. reluctantly ad-
mitted the disappointment of his hope
| that the country at large would accept
as final his own vlndication of Mr..
Ballinger in his dismissal of the
charges brought against the secretary
of the interior by l.. r. CLAWS, former
| special agent of the land office, and his
conclusion that the investigation de-
manded by both sides was inevitable.
Mr. Ballinger's attitude in this mat
ter has the support of leading Repub-
licans in both branches of congress-
senators and Tepresentatives-who feel
that, entirely apart from the merits of
the controversy itself, a fostering sore
IL this character must poison the whole
system of the party in power, and that
IL is high time to resort to the lancet
To Cleanse Wound
These leaders, determined that a
cleansing of this wound is necessary,
have not hesitated to go to the White
House and impress their views on Mr..
Taft. Conferences in which members
of the cabinet. party leaders In both
houses OF congress and the president
himself have participated. have been
held in the last few days.
They eliminated today when Secre-
tary Ballinger, Attorney General Wick
ersham and Postma ster General Hitch
cock met i'm Mr.. Wickersham's offices
and proceeded to the White House,
where the matter was laid before the
president.
Mr. Ballinger told the president. 1t
is said, that the situation had become
intolerable to him, and that though the
constant charges against him had come
from irresponsible persons, he could
no longer sit suplnely by and In JUS
tice to himself he felt compelled to
| insist upon an investigation.
The president was given to under
stand that Mr. Ballinger's demand
carried with 1t the Endorsement of both
Mr.. .Wickersham and Mr.. Hitchcock.
1t is known tonight that he has the
sympathy also of other members of
| the cabinet.
Tomorrow is cabinet day. There can
be little doubt that this will be one of
! the important subjects of that meet
ing.
May Delay Action
| Presumably this is one of the prin-
cipal reasons why the investigation,
| backed by the administration, will
probably not be broached in congress
| before its adjournment tomorrow for
the holiday recess.
! Several things have served to bring
| the matter to a head. The speech of
Representative Hitchcock DemocraD,
| Neb., in the house few days ago, de-
mandng action upon his resolution
! providing for an investigation of the
| land office. was a factor
Mr.. Ballinger, it is said, feared that
| this resolution might be laid upon the
table by the Republican majority and
| that such action would be construed
by his enemies as an effort on the part
| of the administration to "whitewash"
I him.
! A few days ago he received pointed
/ advice from a close personal friend, a
man who has recently left the govern
ment service, who has limself been
| an investigator of the department of
| Justice, and who is an expert on land
laws, urging just such an ultimatum as
! Mr.. Ballinger carried to the White
! House today. He impressed upon the
! secretary the conviction that the time
| had come when he must either demand
an acquittal or retire to private life.
Four important aspects of the situa-
tion are taken into consideration by
party leaders:
Four Aspects
First-The effect upon the future of
/ the Republican party and of the Taft
! administration if attacks upon the in
| tegrity of a member of the president s
! official family is allowed to pass un-
answered.
] Second-The possibility of the con-
troversy between adherents and oppo-
nents of Secretary Ballinger becoming
so bitter as to endanger party leglsla-
ton.
Third-The practical standstill of the
! whole policy of conservation of nat
ural resources in the present conflict.
! Fourth-The desire to do justice to-
| ward the cabinet officer whose per-
sonal and official integrity has been
| assailed.
! So the decision has been reached to
! sift the entire matter to the bottom.
1t remains only to settle on the de-
| tails of the program All parties un-
derstand that the investigation must
be of such a character as to leave in
the public mind not the slightest doubt
| of it's thoroughness and impartiality.
Mr.. Ballinger is impatient of delay
and is said to have urged that reso-
luton providing for a congressional
| investigation be presented in the sem
! ate tomorrow
! 1t is understood tonight that he has
been overruled on that point and that
| the exceedingly complex task of de-
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