Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-03-26


Il desire to know when Mr.. Ballingef
will come and testify before this COM
mittee? VIII he follow Mr.. Steele on
the stand?" persisted Mr.. Brandeis.
II will answer that, said Attorney
vertrees, representing Secretary Bal
lnger. MIR. Ballinger will not come at
the end of Mr. Steeles testimony. He
will testify when we see fit to put niiiI
on
Renews His Protest.
Then. with that statement in view,
desire to protest anew resumed Mr.
Brandeis Il have refrained from max
ing specific charges against Mr.. Bal
linger. But specific charges have been
made by others. The one great ques-
ton before this committee and before
the country is whether or not Mr.. Bal
linger is unfit to occupy his position oy
reason of a lack of truthfulness and
directness. Mr.. Balinger has been
charged by Mr. Pinchot and by wit.
nesses produced by him with willfully
deceiving the President and having
made statements that are untrue.
ITO what proposition are you speak
ing?' interrupted Senator Root
The order and circumstances undel
which Mr.. Balinger Is to testify are OF
paramount Importance. where verac1tS
and straightforwardness are the issue
Why should he he protected from those
ordinary tests of veracity to which other
witnesses are subjected? Is he to be al
lowed TO withhold his testimony and Sc
frame it as TO reconcile it with other tes-
timony that is first to be put in?
Here the attorney was stopped again.
This is an investigation: not an lnquls.-
ton said Senator Sutherland the
committee has reached decision winch
1t believes TO be right and fair.
Rebuked by Root.
The committee" added Senator Root
unanimously agreed on this point anc
announced its decision. You are not
showing proper respect for the unanimou:
decision of the committee.
Representative Graham thought Mr.
Rrandeis should be allowed to proceed. a!
indicating what his summing-up argu
ment would be. AFTER he has indicated
his purpose" said Mr. Graham, 1T re
mains for the other side to decide whether
Ii will take the sting out of the argument
by calling Mr.. Ballinger at this time.
Senator Flint declared he would not 81
minute to listen to arguments at thi:
stage of the case. He said he was sacri
fcing his personal interests 70 serve OF
the committee but would withdraw from
II if il became necessary to listen to sucf
arguments as proposed by Mr.. Graham
at this time.
This ended the excitement. Mr.. Bran
deis subsidized John n. Steele. attorney
for the Guggenhelm interests IN AidShd
took the stand.
Only Money Paid Cunningham.
Mr.. Steele said his object in appearing
before the committee was to dispute the
statements made in magazines and news.
papers that the Guggenheims had pail
large sums of money to Clarence Gun
ninghan. The only money ever given tc
Cunningham was in repayment for money
advanced 10 representative OF the Gug
genheims who went to Alaska to lool
over the claims The amount was some
thing more than 81 $50.
ever was paid TO him." The voucher
covering the payment was produced by
the witness and put into the record.
Mr. Brandeis and members of the com
mittee inierroeated the witness as to thu
'subparticipants in the Alaska syndicate
MIR Steele protested that these were pri
yaJe matters.
Mr. Brandeis thought the ramiication.
of the syndicate might have an important
bearing on the casa.
Mr. Steele then said that he knew only
the participants on the Guggenheim side
These were Kuhn. Loeb & Co. of New
FORK H. o. Havemeyer, jr.. and mar
named Wfneberger. Just who partici
pated on the Morgan side with ]. P. Nor
gan q Co. the witness did not know.
Report on Cunningham Claims.
report by the Guggenheim expert on thu
value OF the Cunningham and otheI
Alaska coal claims was admitted in evf
dence. Mr.. Steele said the report cos
the syndicate considerable sum o
money. and he didn't think it ought to b
made public property. AS the witnes.
had volunteered testimony before tn,
Senate committee on territories, IL wa:
ruled the report became proper evidence
In his report the Guggenheim engineer
discussed the advisability of controlling
this or that group OF claims. The entire
report was not read.
Mr.. Steele said. with some show of feel
ing. that the 0uggenheim enterprises II
Alaska had been the subject of "gros.
abuse and Misrepresentation" in news
papers, magazines and before committees
or Congress.
We have been accused of gobhling III
Alaska. closing the markets of the wOrlt
10 Alaska. and what not. 1t was to re
1ute the Misrepresentation OF this sor
that we asked permission to be heard"
Defends the Guggenheims.
Mr.. Steele said it was difficult to under
stand the abuse that had been heape
upon the Guggenheims. They had neve
tried to do fraudulent thing. he assert
ed, and had secures NJ their right
through the general laws. He gave I'D
ures 10 show that the Guggenheims d
not control Alaskan fisheries, transports
lion facilities or minerals. "Our railroa
is the only bona fide railroad enterpris
IN ALASKA. We have never tried to shu
out competition" said Mr.. Steele. IAN
encouragement that Congress can give u
ought 10 be given"
Wouldn't other copper mines along tn
copper river be at the mercy Of you
rallroadr' asked Mr.. Graham.
The rates are controlled by the InteriO
Department
And you would prefer to have 1t re
main that way?"
Yes. we can get quicker action befor