The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1910-02-19
CLAWS had no Trust
In Superior Officials

WASHINGTON, Feb. 1S.-Louis r.
CLAWS was under cross examination all
day today before the Ballinger-Pin-
chot Investigating committee. and.
when adjournment was taken until to-
morrow morning. there was no indi-
cation that John J. Vetrees. counsel
for Secretary Ballinger. was approach
| ing the end of his constant fire Of in
| terrogations
| The scope of the testimony given by
CLAWS and the latitude allowed By
! the committee in its cross examination
are almost without precedent. The
cross examination particularly is one
/ of long questions and longer answers.
Usually the questions have to do with
the construction to be placed upon let
tiers, kilograms, etc, that have been
read into the record. 1t frequently is
necessary to go over these documents
several times and TO quote freely from
| them.
Wide Latitude Given CLAWS.
Some idea of the latitude given to
Mr.. CLAWS may be gained from the
fact that, concluding the two sessions
today, the printed testimony of this
| thousand pages.
Mr.. Vetrees and Mr.. CLAWS had sew
eral long wrangles in the afternoon
as to the meaning of many letters and
kilograms. A typical instance was a
telegram from Mr.. Ballinger in reply
to message from Commissioner Dem
nett of the land office, in which the
secretary stated his reluctance to act
| in the Alaska cases, and suggested
that Mr. bennett make the necessary
orders himself as to postponing, the
! hearings.
Mr.. Vetrees sought to show that this
meant that Mr. Ballinger was not
directing the Alaska cases in any way
whatsoever. Mr.. CLAWS on the other
hand, insisted that the only construc-
ton he could put upon the telegram
was that it showed that none of the
officials in the department dared do
anything in the cases without first
consulting the secretary. Mr.. CLAWS
lcontended that the telegram conveyed
a specific order by Secretary Balm
ger.
Makes Important Admission.
Mr.. Vetrees, at the morning session.
drew from the witness the important
fact that at the time the Cunning
ham claims were ordered ''clear list
ed" in January, 1908, and in fact, up
to the time that Mr.. Ballinger left the
service as commissioner of the land
office in March 4, 1908, there had
been no adverse reports on these
claims, and that the Cunningham jour-
nal which conta :ned the first evidence
of alleged agreement among the claim
ants, had not been discovered.
The late afternoon session was de-
voted. to an inquiry into motives of
Mr.. CLAWS in seeking the assistance of
Clifford Pinchot. CLAWS said he went
to him because he had faith in him and
felt he was absolutely sincere.
Mr.. Vetrees explained several of his
Hong questions today by the statement
that he Was searching out the motives
of the witness, to discover whether
they were malicious.
Surprised at Successor.
At the afternoon session Mr.. Vetrees
called attention to the fact that, in
his original testimony Mr.. CLAWS ex-
pressed surprise that Special Agent
Sheridan, who succeeded him in charge
of the Alaskan cases, should have
reached the same conclusion he had.
why are you surprised?" demanded
Mr.. Vetrees.
"Well, he had a letter of instruc-
tons, and I think they expected diff
ferent report; otherwise they would