Los Angeles herald., 1909-09-26
CHIEF OF
FORESTRY
DEFENDED
PinchOt Scores Triumph
Over Ballinger
R00SEVELT'S PLANS UPHELD
BY Mr.. TAFT
CHIEF EXECUTIVE ISSUES FIRST
PUBLIC STATEMENT
Head of Timber Department Also
Gives Out Letter-WllI Not Re-
sign-Work of Bureau
Praised
CHIEF EXECUTIVE ISSUES FIRST
PUBLIC STATEMENT
tBy- Associated Press. J

\
~ AS a result of several con-
~ ferences with Chief Forester
Clifford Pinchot today, President
Taft caused to be isused a state
ment in which it is declared that
never at any time during the
Ballinger Pinchot controversy
has the president intended to re-
fleet upon Mr.. Pinchot, and in
which Mr.. Taft takes a more for
ward stand than ever in favor OF
the Roosevelt policies for the
conservation of natural re-
sources.
The president indicates that
what is to be done in the way OF
reclaiming arid lands must be
done within the law, but he an
nounces his intention of applying
to congress for such conhrmatory
legislation as will put the Roose-
welt policies on tine frmest possl-
Die basis.
Mr.. Pinchot before leaving tonight
for Washington also issued state
ment in which he makes public por-
ton of Mr. Taft's letter written to the
chief forester at the time the letter
to Secretary Ballinger was dictated.
The president said he hoped Mr..
Pinchot would not find reason in the
Ballinger letter for resigning.
Will Not Resign
"I shall not resign" declared Mr..
Pinchot, and he adds that he will con-
tinue to serve the government along
the same line he has pursued in the
past, concluding with the statement:
Il believe in equality of opportunity
and the Roosevelt policies, and 1 pur-
pose to stand for them as long as 1
have the strength to stand for any
thing"
Mr.. Pinchot's statement was shown
to the president before it was given
out. The presidents statement fol-
lows:
In view of the published statements
that the letter of the president to Sec
retary Ballinger was to be considered
in some way reflection on Mr.. Pin
chot, the president today authorized
the publication of the following:
THAT at the time he wrote the letter
to Secretary Balling5r he also wrote
a letter to Mr.. Pinchot assuring him
that the conclusions stated therein
were not intended in any way to reflect
on him; that the president deemed Mr..
Pinchot's continuance in the public
service as of the utmost value that he
expected to continue the Roosevelt pol
icies as to the conservation of re-
sources, including the reclamation of
arid lands and the preservation of our
forests and the proper restriction in
respect to the use of coal lands and
water power sites, as well as the i'm
proVement of our waterways, and to
ask congress for such confirmatory and
enabling legislation as would put the
execution of those policies on the firm-
est basis; and that he would deem it
a great loss if, in respect to the mat
ters with which Mr. Pinchot had been
concerned, the administration should
be denied the benefit of his future
service"
Hold Conference
The president held a long conference
with Mr.. Pinchot at the Knutsford ho-
tel after the banquet given by the
Fifteenth infantry.
Mr.. Pinchot's statement which was
made public at the same time, follows
"At the suggestion of the president, |
/ make public the following extracts
from his letter to me mentioned in the |
statement he has just authorized:
L wish you to know that | have |
the utmost confidence in your con-
scientious desire to serve the govern |
ment and the public, in the intensity |
of your purpose to achieve success in |
matter of conservation of natural re-
sources and in the immense value of |
what you have done and propose to |
do in reference to forestry and kindred |
methods of conservation and I am thor
oughly in sympathy with all these pol
icies and propose to do everything that I
can to maintain them, insisting only |
that the action for which l become re-
sponsible. or for which my administra-
tion becomes responsible, shall be
within the law.
at should consider it one of the
greatest losses that my administration
could sustain If you We're to leave it,
and I sincerely hope that you will not
think that my action in writing the
inclosed letter to Secretary Ballinger is
reason for your taking a step of this
character
"These expressions by the president
which are most kind toward me and
most favorable toward my work. as
we'll as the statement authorized by
him, define his attitude toward the con-
servation policies with convincing
clearness
Determined to Stay
"I shall not resign, but shall remain
in the government service. l shall give
my best efforts in the future, as in the
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