The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1909-12-22
SENATE DECIDES
TO MAKE PROBE
win Grant eauest d
sihger.
NVESr ALTON FAR REACHING
Subject Also VIII Include Forestry
Service.
Upper House ADOPTS senator FIint,s
Resolution Calling for Inauiry
Into Bailinser-rinshot Com
tieversy-wrises y
Warm Letter.

washington, Dec. zl--Any uoubts
that the whole force OF the Taft
vestigation demanded by both sides OF
the co-cailed Baninger-Pfnchot contro-
versy was dispelied By events In and
out OF Congress today.
There is now no question that Presi-
dent Taft himself Is as eager for the
merciIess probing OF the matter as
hitherto he has been reticent to admit
the necessity for 1t.
A motive much deeper than willing
ness to do justice to Secretary Bali
linger is ascribed to President Taft by
Senator'S, Representatives and others
active In politics. Men who are In q
Taft declared tonight that he has at
last become convinced Of the truth OF
what his friends have been telling him
for many weeks--of what he has
hitherto laughed at--that there lies
behind the attack on Mr. BalIinger a
more or less definitely organized
movement to discredit the Taft adj
minfstration. especially by spreading
the impression that the so-calied
Roosevelt policies are In unfrtend-
ly hands: that Mr.. BaIlinger was made
the target only on the theory that he
offered for the present, the most yul-
nerabfe point in the administration.
Because he was Ioath to believe that
| such propaganda was under way,
Mr.. Taft opposed every suggestion
from Mr.. Ballinger or his friends that
attacks upon the land office should be
met with a determination to reach
and expose those responsible for the
attacks upon the secretary and other
official OF the interior department ami
the general land office Though slow
n A. IA L.. a. f. Esaf t0
now inclined to believe that the criti-
cisms that have cropped ont In many
widely separated localities are part
OF a deliberate determination to make
trcubls which amounts practically 70
| q conspiracy II -
| FIRST step Taken.
The first step taken fer q congress
1 sion&l Investigation was taken today.
| Senator F.iiHt introduced a resolution
| In the Senate directing the attorney
general to send to the Senate all Of
the paperssin his possession that re-
| late to the case. These papers in
clude the report of l. r. CLAWS. the
dismissed special agent of the general
| Hand office. who sought to connect Mr..
| BallinEer with the Cunningham coal
| land cases in q manner rejecting upon
1 his integrity. These records are the
ones on which the President based his
| generation OF his secretary of the i'm
lterior
/ THE Flint resolution was adopted
and later IL was learned that II had
| been drafted by Attorney General
| Wickersham ana that II was one of
the matters considered at the White
House conference yesterday. when the
| attorney general. Mr.. Ballinger and
Postmaster General Hitchcock dis
cussed with the President the advis-
ability of approving a congressional
1 Investigation. This knowledge led to
the thought by Senator'S that these
records may be far more extensive
than generally supposed.
| Adoption of the Flint resolution was
| followed by the presentation by Sena-
| tor Jones of Washington, of q letter
from Mr.. Ballinger urging an inquiry
| of the broadcast scope and expressing
| the opinion that it would disclose that
| certain officers of the forestry SER
vice had been guilty of pernicious
activity in inspiring the charges
against him.
| Mr.. Jones gave notice that unless
some other Senator did so, he would
offer a resolution calling for a joint
| congressional investigation.
| Having opened the channel for a
| Congressional inquiry, the selection of
| the proper tribunal to hear the evil
| dence for and against both Mr.. Bal
linger and Chief Forester Pinchot be-
comes an Important question. Re-
publican leaders In the Senate have
practically agreed that Senator Nell
| son, chairman of the committee on
public lands, should be at the head of
| the inquiry.
A Joint committee OF the Senate and
Mouse is not favored. on the ground
| that II would be cumbersome, and a
\ special committee is opposed because
1t is feared there would be precipitat-
ed scramble to have placed thereon
men who are prejudiced either for or
against one of the principals in the
controversy. 1t is considered likely
Senate determine the selection. will
4 fall on Senate committee on public
lands.
This committee is made up of men
who understand the public lands ques-
ton, and the Republican members in
| clude adherents of both of the par
ties to the controversy.
/ Mr.. Flint's resolution requested the
President to transmit to Congress any
reports. statements. papers or docu-
ments upon which he acted in reach
ing his conclusions with reference to
| the charges against l.. r.. CLAWS,
Chief of the Field Division OF the 9en-
eral Land ONCE. As passed by the
Senate, the preamble of this resolu-
tion noted the CLAWS charges against
Mr.. Ballinger. The resolution then
continues:
whereas. the President, thereafter
directed the dismissal from the serv-
ice of the said L. R. CLAWS upon the
ground that the charges made by him
were not sustained and that he had
been guilty of misrepresentation and
suppression of material facts in form
ulating said charges, therefore the In
! formation enumerated is requested"
Mr.. Flint had scarcely taken his
seat when Mr.. Jones presented the
Ballinger letter addressed to him.
which in part says:
Reads Bn1Ainger Letter.
| "Any investigation by Congress OF
\ the Interior Department or of any of
It's officers should be sufficiently broad
and far-reaching to put at rest the
nuspicions, criticisms and representa-
lions of corrupt or improper practices
heretofore charged against the pres
emit administration thereof. and fur
/ tharmore such Investigation should