The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1909-12-28
Continued from First Page)

Of this row. ana that he will get right
out with a club to make himself felt"
Now Fighting SuEordinates.
Mr.. Pinchot declares that 1.-THE Forest
Service has violated no laws, and in
that declaration he is certain TO have
the vigorous support of the former
President simply because the acts OF
the Forest Service were the proudest
piece of the Roosevelt policy.
Realizing the weakness Of an attack
on the conservation program as Il was
carried out Under Roosevelt the oppon-
epts of Pinchot have latterly tried to
MAKE their hght against certain of Pin
chot's suhordinates. Nj. PinchOts
speech is construed to mean that he will
stand by these officers, and make their
cause his own.
Thc people against whom the Balling-
critics nave aimed their criticisms, In
This connection arc OVeTtOn w Price,
associate forester. and A c Shaw, law
officer of the Forest Service. Mr.. Price
jectiOnabIe 20 them They have charged
that Price, while chief OF the bureau
was in the West last summer, conduct
ed a press agency TO give out tnforma-
ton in deTuEatiO of the conduct of the
General Land Office. This is the sum
of the indiscretions charged against
Price.
There is every reason 60 expect that
stand, they will admit quite as much as
anybody can charge against them, prob
ably more; and that they viii present
a record which they will urge as their
Justification.
Have Nothing to Conceal
They will conceal nothing. On the
other hand II they get the first chance
TO testify they viii very likely head off
the opposition by telling-sO much OF
what their enemies were going to give
out as revelations that there will be
little for the other side to charge.
And in defense of their acts, they
viii present all they know about the
Cunningham and other disputed claims,
ahout-ceTtain water power matters, etc,
and will protest that n the whole rec
ord can be brought forward. il viii
prove their right to feel that the public
interest was menaCed.
PinchOtr very apparently. Judging by
his New York speech, is determined 10
stand by his subordlnatcs. and give 10
their actions all the moral support Of
his own Endorsement. That will mean,
IL is expected, that their acts will b.
presented as entirely consistent with
the policy that would have been pur-
sued, I'm like circumstances, if Roosevelt
had been the head or the Government.
That will bring sQuarely into issue the
question Of whether the Roosevelt pol
icies are being executed by the bureau
kOOS6FellS kOuISe awaited.
II Mr.. Roosevelt shall stand by, after
he gets home. and permit it to be claim
ed. in behalf OF Pinchot, tina. the Pin
chot bureau has been working along
Roosevelt lines, Roosevelt will not need
to say a word. His silence win indicate
to the country that he is still standing
by his former bureau chief.
And people who read between the
lines Of the Pinchot speech find therein
the evidence of Pinchots confidence
that viii at least stand by
ave the benefit Of the
has always acted, and
n have acted, in accord
Roosevelt program in
of PinChOt's subor-
dh circumstances. would
ar demnatiOn OF PinchOt,
afg le made to appear as a
REP g Roosevelt program.
al opined by the PfnChot
for calculated TO interest
the aJrmer President IN the affair, No
matter With what political interests he
may thereby become involved.
Will Fight In the Open.
Tho Pinchot partisans have been de-
cidedIy more cheerful since the New
York speech. They feel that their case
has been stated in fits biggest. strongest
terms. before the entire country. They
are preparing for the coming contest,
and VIII make their fight in the most
open fashion possible. asking for an
open Investigation, and for the right to
put In all the material they have at
their command.
II is now accepted as perfectly clear
that they will directly attack Secretary
Balli1Eer, and that his alleged rela-
lions 20 interests which have sought
great concessions from the public do
main viii be developed in the most
effective way that thorough l1nowl-
edge OF the law and the facts viii make
possible
When the session OF Congress is re-
sumed, the controversy Will be at fever
heat. A recent estimate Of the Iine-lIp
Of Senators indicated that there will
not be majority OF more than three
or four in favor Of having the iuyesti-
CATION made by "A special joint com
mittec; and this was considered to give
at the doubtful points TO the Ballinger
forces.
The Pinchot people believe the in
vcstigatiOn should be made by the
Senate Committee on Public Lands. and
~ they carry this point il will be q
very important victory at the outset.