The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-11-09
Ex.LandOffice FieldAgent Makes
Sensational Charges.
Claims Attempt Is Being Made
to Defraud Government.
tCOALLANDS ARE RICH
One Hundred Thousand Acres
Located in Alaska.
Charges Secretary Ballinger Is
in Collision With Syndicate.

New York. Nov. 9-Colliers will pub
hsh Saturday sensational statemen'
from L. r. CLAWS. the chief OF the
field division of the general land office
who was discharged by Richard A
Ballinger, secretary of the interior.
Mr.. CLAWS charges that Secretary
Ballineer failed TO protect the govern
n,ent in the Alaskan coal land cases in
which he claims an attempt IS oelng
made by a syndicate to secure 100000
acres of rich coal lands by fraudulent
means.
Mr. Claws article follows
From 1902 to 1909 1 was in the field
service Of the general land office, for
the last two and a half years as CHIEF
of field division In September. 1909, L
was summarily removed from my posi-
tion without formal hearing by Rlcn-
ard A. Ballinger. secretary of the IN
terror, by authorization of the president
of the United States. That removal
was accompanied by the publication OF
a letter of the president to Mr. Bal
1inger. I believe that my removal was
unfair. I believe the presidents letter
was grievously unfair, because IN it the
president gives weight to charge
against me which 1 never had the op-
portunity to see or answer The presl-
dent states in his letter that l Withheld
from him information favorable to my
superiors. 1 do not know of any such
information withheld by me- nor am l
conscious of doing my superiors in
Justice. Nevertheless, l should not now
make any public statement of the mat
ter were it not still possible to save for
the government many thousands of
acres of coal lands which 1 believe the
land office may in the near future
grant to fraudulent claimants. The
hope that my statement will help to
arouse public sentiment, and that this
danger to the national resources may
be averted, it what actuateS me. This
statement will simply give facts and
leave to the judgment of those who read
whether or not the land office has been
Jealous in the public service.
Alaskan Coal Lands.
THE coal lands of Alaska owned by
the government amount to over 100000
acres. They are the future coal supply
of the nation, of almost inestimabIe
value Possession of them by private
individuals means great Wealth.
monopoly of them would be a national
menace.
"On November II, 1906 President
Roosevelt withdrew all coal lands in
Alaska from public entry; but previous
to that time there were about 900
claims filed, covering about 1905 900 acres
Cnearly the whole of the coal fields).
HS ldW dllSlIpbS " pI6NcuL ulOIOpOly
of such claims by limiting the amount
of each claim and providing that each
claimant must take up the land in his
own interest and for his own use. This
law has been interpreted by the su-
preme court of the United States to
forbid speculating in coal lands before
entry-either by dummy entrymen or
by previous agreements to consolidate
claims after entry OF these 900 claims
to Alaska coal lands-among them the
s"-called Cunningham group-the ma
jority are fraudulent
AS to the action of the land office
on these claims, 1 assert that the land
office ordered the Cunningham claims
to patent without due investigation
when Commissioner Ballinger knew
they were under suspicion; that while
in office Commissioner Ballinger urg-
ed congress to pass law which would
validate fraudulent Alaska claims;
that shortly after resigning from Of
flee he became attorney for the Cum
ningham group and other Alaska
claims; that soon after he became
secretary of the interior his office rem
dered decision which would have
validated all fraudulent Alaska claims
A reversal of that decision on every
point was obtained from ATTORNEY
General Wickersham. Had it not been
for Mr.. Wickersham's decision, every
fraudulent Alaska claim would have
gone to patent.
Il assert that in the spring of 1909
the land office urged me to an early
trial of these cases before the investi-
cation was finished, and when Secre-
tary Ballinger, as the president has
stated. knew that the Cunningham.
claims were invalid. When 1 appealed
to Secretary Ballinger for postpone
ment, he referred me to his subordin-
ates. The department of agriculture
intervened. I was superseded in the
charge or the cases. and the man who
superseded me endorsed my recon-
mendations, and the postponement
was granted. Immediately thereafter
/ made my report on the Cunningham
cases to President Taft. and was dis
missed from the survice for insubor-
dination.
CLAWS First Hint of Fraud.
THE president has seen fit to raise
broader issues than those contained in
my report. In view of this fact.
shall in this report use material NOT
favorable to the people concerned
which ] did not use in nv report to
the president, because these facts did
not Immediately concern the Cunning
ham cases.
THE first official communication TO
the land office which suggested that
some or all of the Alaska coal claims
were fraudulent was made by Special
Agent H. K. Love in October, 1905.
In June, 1907, Special Agent Horace
T. Jones was detailed by Mr.. Fred
bennett, first assistant commissioner
of the general land office, to make a
complete investigation. Subsequently
Jones was instructed by Mr.. BaIlinger
to make the report a preliminary one.
Jones reported on August 10, 1907.
requesting further investigation by
an experienced and fearless agent
On August 2, 1907. Love made a re-
port favorable to the issuance of pat
ents to the Cunningham claims.
tfMV first connection with fboSa
cases was when in the fall of 1907 1
discovered in Seattle. while investigat-
ing other matters, that some or all of