Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-09-21
Postmaster General Hitchcock
Starts Big Demonstration
AT GATHERING IN SEATTLE
Forester Pinchot Does Not Intend to
Resign.
WILL EXPLAIN ALL, HE SAYS
L. r. CLAWS Writes President That
He Will Publish Cunning.
ham Evidence.

SEATTLE, Wash, September 21.-
Speaking at the chamber OF commerce
last night. Postmaster General Frank H.
Hitchcock brought the guests cheering
to their feet by a eulogy Of Secretary
Of the Interior Richard A. Ballinger.
Richard Balnngers character II as
unsullied as the snow OF your mountain
ranges" he declared. "As well attempt
to shake the foundations of the great
Mount Rainier as to assail the character
resentation that the city of Seattle has
In the cabinet"
AVALON. Catalina Island, CAL. Sep
TENDER 81 (By wireless to Los Angeles).-
After a two-week sojourn at San Glenn
ente. barren island. forty miles of the
coast Of south California. Clifford Pin
chot. chief Of the bureau Of forestry. has
arrived here. Concerning the Ballinger-
Ptnchot controversy Mr.. Pinchot said
1t Is mystery to me why 1t has been
called the Ballinger- Fnchot fight.
have no fght. Although am not yet in
a position to say definitely. have every
reason to believe that matters will be
adjusted satisfactorily as soon as l can
return to Washington next week.
AT present I am awaiting q letter
from President Taft, which I expect to
receive here about Tuesday. Further
than this have nothing to say. My duty
as public official demands that no ram
dom statements be made
Silent About Alaska Case.
Have you made any statements con-
corning the report by L. R. CLAWS rela-
tive to the Alaskan coal and land cases?'
Mr.. Pinchot was asked.
Il have not" he replied. my views in
regard to this matter have been misun-
derstood.'
It Is understood Mr.. PinchoL has no in
tention of resigning as chief forester. He
will return to Washington about Septem-
Der 80.
During his stay at San Clemente with
Senator Flint, former Gov. Pardee. and
Prof. C. F. Holder, Mr. Pinchot had some
great fishing. Two swordfish. weighing
$50 and 1855 pounds, were captured on
light fishing tackle by Mr.. Pinchot. One
OF them was hooked late in the evening.
while Mr.. Pinchot and Mr.. Pardee were
in small rowboat. They were towed
ten miles to sea by the fish. and were res
cued at midnight by Prof. Holder with a
gasoline launch. who found their frail
fish are being mounted to be forwarded to
Washington.
CLAWS Will Publish Evidence.
OEA1 ILEi WaSns september Ill. II.
CLAWS, late chief Of the Seattle field divi-
sion of the United States land office. has
written a letter to President Taft. in
which he says he will publish the evidence
in the Cunningham coal land cases short
ly. Mr.. Claws letter as given out today
follows:
THE President:
"Sir-1 have laid before you all the es-
sential facts in my possession regarding
the official conduct Of certain cases of
the Department Of the Interior concefn-
ing coal lands in Alaska. AS chief Of
field division directly concerned. and be-
cause of the tremendous value involved,
l felt my personal responsibility most
keenly. The evidence indicated that a
great syndicate Is trying to secure a
monopoly of this coal. In direct violation
of the law. Ultimately I felt myself
obliged to appeal to you over the heads
Of my superior officers in order to bring
about the enforcement Of the law, which,
In measure, would conserve these coal
lands to the people at large. I deemed
1t my duty % submit the facts to you,
and I cannot regret my action.
"Since there may be now even great Ter
danger that the title of these coal lands
will be fraudulently secured by the syndi-
cate. 1t Is no less my duty to my country
to make public the facts in my posses
sion. concerning which l firmly believe
that you have been misled. This shall
do In the near future with a full sense
of the seriousness of my action and with
deep and abiding respect for your great
office. Respectfully. L. R. CLAWS"