The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-11-10
Rancor in the Breast of the
Author Is Blamed for the
Bitter Attack Made on Sec
rotary BaIlinger.
Ex-FIElD AGENT is
TERMED A FALSIFlEF
BY the Secretary of the Inter-
ior and His Washington
Friends Are Very Greatly
Wrought Up Now.

washington, -. u, NOV. lO.-ln TIE
light of the latest development in the
controversy over the Alaska coal land
claims it seems difficult to escape the
conviction that the subject is matter
of congressional investigation. as the
statement. prepared by Louis r. CLAW
is, recently dismissed as field agent of
the general land office at Seattle.
Wash. which was given out for pub
LEGATION yesterday afternoon is replete
with limitations directed against the
official integrity of Secretary of the In
terror Ballinger.
While CLAWS asserts that he is max
ing no charge against the secretary,
which language is merely a play on
words, it is his obvious purpose to ere
ate the impression that Ballinger has
been seeking to facilitate the acquisi-
ton of 100000 acres of coal lands in
Alaska by a group of capitalists in u
with the laws and purposes of con-
gress.
FaIsehood, Says eaIIinoer.
Needless to say, this is a serious i'm
putation against the secretary. and. ii
for no other reason than to justify his
own course, an investigation by a
proper committee of congress should
be invited by him. For the present the
secretary contents himself with brief
statement in which he brands as a
tissue of falsehood and unwarranted
deposed land agent.
CLAWS clearly was actuated by a
twofold purpose in giving publicity al
this time to his side of the case. First
he desired to justify his own course OF
| action and show that his dismissal by
direction of the president was not
merited.
Second, he designed to put Secreta
Ballinger in an awkward position
from which it would be difficult to ex'
| tricate himself.
Having lost his own position for go
| ing over the Secretary's head to the
| president. he would now like to SEE
Ballinger separated from the publ;
| service for alleged connivance witt
| men who were seeking to gobble W
| the coal lands in the public domain j.
Alaska.
1t would require a long and exhaust
i've examination of public records tc
determine to ones satisfaction whether
Glavis's insinuating statements con
corning the secretary's actions were
justified by the facts, and for this rea'
son it would be difficult for the public
to reach a rational and unprecedented
conclusion unless it were guided by 3
congressional committee which had &C
cess to all data in connection with the
Alaska coal claims and made com
prehensive report after diligent search
ing and dispassionate investigation.
| There is no doubt that a request fol
such an investigation will be made
when congress convenes next month
and it would seem that only by such q
procedure could the atmosphere bt
| clarified of the clouds of suspicion tina
have been created by the elimination
! and denominations that have been pass
ing back and forth during the las
three or four months.
| There are some assertions in Claws!
ated and which he probably was inspir
ed to make by the notification Of hi!
dismissal and the nervous tension un
der which he has been laboring.
| For example. referring to the Goa
lands of Alaska owned by the govern