The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1909-12-06
P'|NCHOT'S TONGUE
STOPPED
FORESTER'S PART In THE GLA.
Wis CHARGES HAS RECENTLY
EXONERATED.

Washington, Dec. because the
president told senator some of the
inside facts regarding the so-called
Ballinger-Pinchot controversy, and
because that senator told them in turn
to friendly newspaper man, the
mystery of the controversy start is
being gradually cleared up.
In a Washington dispatch in the
New York Tribune Thursday these
statements are made: "The presi-
dent has come into possession of a
number of facts which clearly indi-
cate the responsibility of the animus
of the attack made on his secretary
of the interior. Mr.. Taft recently in
formed a senator that it had come
to his knowledge that Mr.. Shaw, Mr..
Pinchot's law officer, had, under in
structions from Mr.. Pinchot, met
CLAWS by appointment in Chicago and
had dictated the original charges
which CLAWS filed with the president
at Beverly, where he came armed
with a letter of introduction and in
dorsement from Mr.. Pinchot.''
Pinchot's Part in Attack.
1t will be recalled that the at
tacks on Mr.. Ballinger began stimuli
taneously with Pinchot's giving the
letter to CLAWS. There is no evil
dence that Pinchot wired Shaw to
meet CLAWS in Chicago on his way to
Beverly, but the belief is general that
he did
Also simultaneously with the start
of CLAWS from Spokane, where,
though having no official business
thereat. he met Pinchot. former Gov
ernOr Pardee of California made his
attack on Ballinger, alleging miscon-
duct in regard to Missouri river pow
er sites, an attack afterward proved
absolutely unfounded, though neither
Pinchot nor Pardee has yet apolOg-
lied for or attempted to correct the
misstatements there made.
CLAWS served his purpose in being
a tool for the forestry department in
gaining publicity for it's case in the
interior department, and now has APP
parently been cast aside
Wickersham's "ExOneratiOn."
Today many newspapers have
given publicity to a statement that |
Attorney General Wickersham has
rendered a report to the president on
Ballinger, in which the secretary of
the interior is exonerated from
CLAWS charges. This hardly states !
the case.
1t is not customary for one mem /
Der of the cabinet to be required to
make report on colleague. Mr..
has prepared for the use
of the president a comprehensive re-
view of every phase of the admins
tration of Mr. Ballinger's department,
covering the CLAWS charges and the
weekly and magazine at
lacks. i
This is supplementary to the re-
port made prior to the time the pres
dent wrote his letter at Albany up
holding the conduct of Mr.. Balm
l. hot hn
will submit Mr.. Wickersham's review
70 congress in the event that a con-
sressional investigation is had. II
lpholds Mr.. Ballinger in every way
Congressional Investigation.
Talk of congressional investiga-
ion to include a thorough probe of
he forestry bureau is growing
stronger. 1t is predicted that Senator
Nelson, chairman of the committee
IN public lands, will introduce a res
olution calling for one.
Secretary Ballinger will not discuss
he probability of an investigation of
lis department, but unofficially it is
Known that, while he will not ask
,ne, he will welcome such a proceed
ng.
Pinchot Told to Be Silent.
In the meantime the president last
week wrote a letter to Mr.. Pinchot
saying that, while he desired to re-
ain him in the government service,
oinchot must cease his newspaper
on the secretary of the in
erior
1t is an open secret that the fact
hat Colonel Roosevelt was fond of
oinchot weighs quite as much in the
mind as Pinchot's abil-
ty as an officer in determining that !
oinchot shall not be summarily dis !
missed.