The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1909-09-01
Especial Correspondenoe).


WASHINGTON, Aug. 15.-lf Presi-
dent Taft is unable to harmonic the
differences that exist between Secre-
tary Ballinger and Forester Pinchot,
it is quite within the bounds of pos
sibility that Mr.. Pinchot may be COM
PEELED to sever his connection with
the federal service. And those who
know Ballinger and Pinchot, and who
are familiar with the points of diff
ference over which they are now fight
ing, entertain grave doubts whether
President Taft, great pacificator that
he is, can bring together these two
public officials.
In the event that Pinchot's services
are dispensed with, a general reorgan-
ization of the Forest Service is like
ly to follow. The more prominent Of
ficials of that service are intensely
loyal to Pinchot, and as thoroughly
imbued with Pinchotism as Pinchot
himself is imbued with Rooseveltism.
If those officials remained in their
present positions, the successor to Mr..
Pinchot would have extreme difficulty
in getting away from those practices
| to which Secretary Ballinger has OBJ
| jected The infusion of considerable
new blood would be necessary in Or
der to insure the conduct of the For
est Service in strict accord with the
law
To President Taft, this quarrel be-
tween Ballinger and Pinchot is de-
cidedly embarrassing. He himself is
pledged to the Roosevelt policies, but
he is equally pledged to a rigid en-
forcement of the law. Moreover, when
he first assembled his cabinet last
March, he said to his official advisers
that he would not tolerate a practice
that marked the entire Roosevelt adj
ministration-that of allowing subor.
dinate officials to carry complaints to
the White House over heads of their
superiors. He said that as a cabinet
officer he had on many occasions been
embarrassed by having army officers
appeal directly over his head to the
President. He would not permit the
members of his cabinet to be similar
ly Inundated.
President Taft, of course, is aware
that the dropping of Pinchot would be
attended by considerable embarrass'
ment to the administration. He knows
that the minute Pinchot quit, the CRY
would go up that the Taft administra'
ton was getting away from the Roose
welt policies, and intended playing in
to the hands of special interests.
would then be necessary, i'm some way
to demonstrate to the country tina
the Roosevelt policies are to be en-
forced, but enforced according to law
AS between Ballinger and Pinchot
it is natural to suppose that the Pres
ident, in case this trouble reaches al
acute stage, will stand by BallingeT
Secretary Ballinger is a man of hi
own choice; Pinchot is a relic of tn
Roosevelt administration. In placin
J Ballinger in his cabinet, the Presiden
vouched for his standing and his abil
ity. On the other hand, he is in n
: way responsible for Pinchot, and
he had the original appointment of
Forester, it is very much to be ques
: toned whether he would pick Pincho
for the job. Moreover, Ballinger
: proceeding along the lines Of the law
|. Pinchot, by his frank confession at tn
Irrigation Congress, believes in gon
e beyond the law whenever it is neces
sary to attain what he considers
= desirable end. This Pinchot metho