Omaha daily bee., 1909-09-17
BALLINCER IS INDICATED
President Taft Approves official
Actions Of Secretary Of Interior.
CLAWS TO BE DISMISSED
Dentai that Acts of Secretary Are
open % Censure or that He -
oct Of Lilac with Conser-
vstion Policy.

ALBANY, n. Y, Sept. ia statement
in which President Taft announces his
findings upon the charges against the
conduct OF the Interior department OF the
government by Z. r. CLAWS. chief Of the
field division Of the general land office In
connection with the Cunningham coal land
claims Ia Alaska. generating Secretary
Bailinger Of the Interior department and
observing that Mr.. Claws case embraced
only "shrsds OF suspicion without sub
stsntisl evidence" was made public here
tonight.
The president grants Secretary Balm
ger's request for authority to dismiss Nj.
CLAWS from the service Of the govern
msnt, FOR u~nJustis lmpesching the Off
ciaI testfm6ny OF his superior officer, 81
and takes care to review evidence in the
so-calIed "~WaterDoWer" trust and other
cases to refute the charges that the sec
rotary Of the interior is out Of sympathy
with the policy OF the administration in
favor OF the conservation ~ natural re-
sources.
LetteE to Mr.. BaIIInEer.
The stateinent. which is in the form of
a letter to Secretary Bsllinger, written
before President Taft left his summer
home at Beverly. Mass, in part follows:
BEVERLY Mass, Sept. 10, 1sOs.-My
dear Sir on the 18th day OF August last
Mr.. l.. r. CLAWS, chief of the field division
Of the general and office, with hesdauar-
tiers at Seattle, Wash, called upon me
here and submitted a statement, or re-
port, relating to the conduct OF the In
terror department and particularly to the
action Of yourself, Assistant Secretary
Pierce, Commissioner Of the General Land
office bennett, and Chief Of the Field
Service Schwartz, IN reference to the SO
called Cunningham group Of coal land
claims in Alaska.
Il have examined the whole record most
carefully and have reached q definite con-
ciusion. II Is impossible for me In an
nounclng This conclusion to accompany II
with a review OF the charges and the evi-
dence on both sides. II is sufficient to say
that the case attempted to he made by Mr..
CLAWS embraces only shreds of suspicion
without any substantial evidence to sustain
his attack.
The whole record shows that Mr.. CLAWS
was honestly convinced Of the Illegal char
acter OF the claims " the Cunningham
group and that he was seeking evidence to
defeat the claims. But Il also shows that
there was delay on his part in preparing
the evidence with which TO bring this, with
other claims, to hearing, and that Justice
to the claimants required more speedy
action than the department, through Mr.,
CLAWS, seems to have taken. Mr.. CLAWS
seeks by quoting from a single telegram
to show hat at one time the department,
wished TO delay him In his Investigations
Of the Alaska claims and at another time
unduly to hurry him and he attempts 10
prove these two circumstances BY citing
kilograms and correspondence without dis.
closing other circumstances and CORE
spondence which he knew or had under his
control and which do show entirely propel
reason. for the action which, in each case
was directed 70 be taken.
I'm other words the reading OF the who'll
record leaves no doubt that in his zeal L
convict yourself, Acting Secretary Pierce
Commissioned bennett and Mr.. schwartz
he ala not give me the benefit Of informa
ton which he had that would have throw
light. On the transactions, showing then
TO be consistent with an impartial attitude
ON your part toward the claims in aues
lion.
The record overwhelmingly establishes
that expressly because OF your previous
employment as counsel to one OF tn,
claimants from the time you entered upor
the duties Of the office Of Secretary o