The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-05-29
TWO REPORTS WILL Be
MADE BY THE COMMITTEE
Three Big Lawsuits VIII he Another
Outcome of the Investigation and
the Biggest VIII BE BalIing-
er VS.. Golfers Weekly
BY RALPH NJ. WHITEsIDE

WasF>~ May 2S.-tSpecial)-The re-
| port Off ~Ngressional committee ap
pointed To ~Rte the Ballinger-Pin-
| chot controe- Sp all likelihood be
| published aboul ke of July. There
| may be two repofes. one signed by Sena-
| tor Nelson of Minnesota, chairman of the
| joint committee. and the majority MEM
| bers, and the other by the insurgents and
democrats on the committee.
| While 1t is generally believed that Sec
retary Bailnger will be entirely exoner-
ated of wrengdoing and Clifford Pinchot.
Louis r. CLAWS and others among the
secusers will be criticised for what the
| committee may term their misguided
ZEAL" nevertheless the opinion prevails
that Secretary Ballinger's resignation will
| be in the hands OF President Taft before
| November ..
1t is reported that Secretary BalIinger
has already intimated to his friends that
he thought of resignng, but he declared
| he would never resign under fire. Secre-
| tary Ballinger is guided in this course by
| two motives, first, the charges made in
| the Pinchot controversy. and second, the
counter accusations which are daily
growing out of the senatorial investiga-
| ton into the Alaskan situation.
| Secretary Balinger's statement to the
public, which is expected to accompany
his reported resignation, will doubtless be
masterpiece in prose. For weeks and
weeks he has been nursing his wrath
against his political foes without the op-
portunity to unstop the safety valve as
1t were. The explanatory statement of
II
fetal family will give him the opportunity
he has long desired
/ BplIinger VIII Resign
While ii is already established that the
! report of the investigating committee will
be published before the autumn elections,
1t has been matter of common gossip
that Secretary Ballinger would step down
and out before the campaign terminated.
The members of the committee feared
| that II would be harmful to republican
chances in the congressional elections IL
| the report were kept under cover until
after November There are some who be-
lieve that equal harm will accrue by ex-
onerating Secretary Ballinger The pub
| lie has but a slight inkling of the great
mass of testimony given at the hearings
wide interest which were published.
Just what Representative Ollie James
of Kentucky and his democratic asso-
ciates will have to say over the verdict
| Is matter OF a great deal of specula-
| ton. 1t was said that there might be
| three reports, one majority report and
| two minority reports, the two latter be-
| ing headed by Representative James and
| the democrats and the other by Repre-
sentative Madison and the insurgents on
| the committee.
VIII he Exonerated
| While Secretary Ballinger will be ex-
onerated, he will come In for some warm
criticism from the insurgents and DEM
ocrats for his alleged improprieties and
undiplomatc actions while in office.
| 1t is not believed that more than pass
ing mention will be made of the part
President Taft's name played in the evil
dence
The records OF the case will have been
completed by June 10, and the review OF
the Testimony and arguments will then
be commenced
Secretary Ballinger today reiterated a
statement he has made before relative
to his proposed resignation. He said
Il have not talked with President Taft
about resigning. nor has the President
mentioned the subject to me. feel that
/ have been cleared by the testimony
given before the joint committee and
await the verdict confidently>and with q
clear conscience" 4l -4t
1t is believed that the wake of the
Balinger-Pinchot investigation will be
marked by an unprecedented number OF
damage suits for libel, SANDER and defa-