Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-09-16
STANDS BY BAl[|ACER
Taft UphoIds Secretary in
Coal Land Cases.
ORDERS CLAWS DISMISSED
Charges Made by Special Agent Des.
ignated as Cruel Injustice"
PRAISE FOR CABINET OFFICER
Declared by President to Be "Best
PRAISE FOR CABINET OFFICER
Declared by President to Be "Best
Friend" of Conservation-No
Reclamation Service Changes.

Unqualified vindication of charges pre-
ferred by a subordinate in the Interior
Department in connection with the Cum
ningham coal land claims for Secretary
Ballinger and the officials under him.
vigorous denunciation of the author of
the charges and direction for his sum-
mary dismissal from the government
service for unjustly impeaching a super
ior Office. and hearty support and COM
mendation of the Interior Department.
conservation policy.
These are the features of President
Taft's decision in the conservation row
precipitated by Forester Pinchot and the
alleged scandal limited at by Special
Agent CLAWS. The decision was an
nounced last night in letter addressed
to Secretary Ballinger and given out at
Albany.
The President has acted after thor
ough investigation conducted by himself
and Attorney General Wickersham and
taking into consideration complete re-
ports furnished him by the officials
named. The President has made one bite
of the cherry and settled the entire con-
servation row as we'll as the Cunningham
land rumpus.
His language is unequivocal throughout
the letter in it's depreciation of Special
Agent CLAWS and his expression of his
entire confidence in the department Off
Gals and approval of the department S
course not only in conservation affairs,
but in the Cunningham cases.
Delighted, But Silent.
A more thorough, emphatic and spon-
taneous vindication of officials under fire
Is not to be found in government annals.
1t is needless to add that the officials of
the department were delighted at the out
come, which they have steadily forecasted
from the first.
Still preserving the policy of silence
which has marked their course through
out the trouble, neither Secretary Bal
to say today about the Presidents let
ter. That document did all the talking
they consider necessary at this time.
Orders will be telegraphed to the proper
official at Seattle to dismiss SPECIAL Agent
CLAWS. in accordance with the Presidents
direction. The proceedings in the Cum
bingham cases will go along in order, bat
under direction of some other special
agent, probably Mr.. Sheridan.
While the Presidents letter does not
comment upon Forester Pinchot, it does
not hesitate to refute the criticisms upon
the admin STATIONS conservation policy
which have been uttered by Mr.. Pinchot
and others in sympathy with him.
Pinchot will do in the circumstances. He
is now in the west and will not return
for several weeks. He will meet Presi
dent Taft at some point in the journey.
no changes in the personnel of the recla-
nation service, at least for several
months, but the work of that bureau will
be conducted along the lines of conserva
tism adopted by this administration and
without regard to the policy of the last
regime.
President Taft's Letter.
The letter of the President to Secretary
Ballinger is as follows:
Beverly. Mass, September IL, 1909.
MY Dear Sir: On the 18th day of Au-
gust last Mr.. L. H. CLAWS, chief of field
division of the general land Office, with
headquarters at Seattle, Wash. called
upon me here and submitted statement
or report relative to the conduct of the
Interior Department and to the action of
yourself, Assistant Secretary Pierce, Com
missioner of the General Land Office Den
nett and Chief Of Field Service Schwartz,
In reference to the so-called Cunningham
group of coal land claims in Alaska.
Mr.. CLAWS report does not formulate
his charges against you and the others,
but by insinuation and innuendo as we'll
as by direct averment he does charge
that each one of you while public Of
ham claimants to secure patents based
on claims that you know or have reason
to believe to be fraudulent and unlawful
The report, which is voluminous and con-
tains exhibits of kilograms, letters and
public documents, l directed to be copied
and sent to you and to the other Of
ficers involved. You and each of the
other gentlemen named have now made
written answers to the statements of Mr..
CLAWS and accompanied them by addi-
tiOnal exhibits taken from the records of
the Interior Department, as well as by
private letters.
No Substantial Evidence.
Il have examined the whole record most
carefully, and have reached a very def
mite conclusion. 1t is impossible for me,
in announcing this conclusion, to accom-
pany 1t with a review of the charges and
the evidence on both sides. 1t is sufficient
to say that the case attempted to be
made by Mr.. CLAWS embraces only shreds
Of suspicion without any substantial evil
dence to sustain his attack.
THE whole record shows that Mr. CLAWS
was honestly convinced of the illegal
character Of the claims in the Cunning
ham group. and that he was seeking evl-
dence to defeat the claims But it also
shows that there was delay on his part in
preparing the evidence with which to
bring this. with other claims, to hearing.
more speedy action than the depart
ment. through Mr.. CLAWS, seems to have
taken.
Mr.. CLAWS seeks by quoting from sin
gle telegram in the department., to show
that at one time the department wished
to delay him in his Investigations of the
Alaska claims and at another time un-
duly to hurry him, and he attempts to
prove those two circumstances by citing
kilograms and correspondence without
disclosing other circumstances and cOrre-
spOndence which he knew or had under
his control. and which do show an entire
ly proper reason for the acton which in
each case was directed to be taken.
All Facts Not Given.
I'm other words, the reading of the. whole
record leaves no doubt that in his zeal
to convict yourself, Assistant Secretary
Pierce, Commissioner bennett and Mr.
Schwartz he did not give me the benefit OF
information which he had that would
have thrown light on the transactions.
showing them to be consistent with an
impartial attitude on your part toward
the claims in question.
The great responsibility of cabinet DO
sitions demands the selection therefor of
men of the highest character and integ-
rity. Possession of these qualities as
well an ability and experience which
especially fitted you to direct the affairs
of the Department of the Interior, war;
ranted your appointment as Secretary
Duty to the country, to you and to my
self requires that any aspersOn upon the
propriety of your acts or those of your
subordinates be promptly met and care