Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-05-16

ors and their use by them In whole or
in part as they might see fit.
The draft prepared by Assistant At
tornev General Lawler and the letter
actually writtn and made public by
President Taft are now matters OF
public record in the testimony of the
investigating committee.
President Tafts letter begins as
follows:
ION the 18th day of August last Mr..
l.. r. CLAWS, chief of field division OF
the general land Office. with headquar-
tiers at Seattle, WASH. called upon me
here and submitted a statement or
report relating to the conduct OF the
interior department and particularly
to the action of yourself, Assistant
Secretary Pierce, Commissioner of the
General Land Office bennett, and Chief
of Field Service Schwartz in reference
TO the so-called Cunningham group of
coal lands in Alaska
The first paragraph of the LAWYER
memorandum is substantially identical.
The seventh paragraph of the Presi-
dents letter and the second of the
LAWYER memorandum are those re-
ferred to by Attorney General Wick
ersham as being alike. Both read as
follows:
THE great responsibility of cabinet
positions demands the selection there
for OF men of the highest character
and integrity. Possession of these
qualities, as we'll as an ability and eX-
perience which especially fitted you to
direct the affairs of the department of
the interior, warranted your appoint
ment as secretary. Duty to the coun-
try, to you, and to myself, requires
that any aspersion upon the propri-
ETY. of your acts or those of your sub
ordinates be promptly met and care
fully considered, to the end that if
justified, proper remedy may be ap-
piled and if not, that it be publicly re-
futed.'
The last phrase in the Lawler letter
read:
And if not that it may be square
ly. emphatically and publicly refuted."
Here the similarity ends.
The President in his letter speaks of
the inference which CLAWS seeks to
draw to Ballinger's discredit that while
he was commissioner Of the land office
he came into possession of facts con-
corning the so-called Cunningham
group of coal land claims (which made
it improper for you to use such facts
after your resignation in the course of
securing patents
Lawler says" came into possession of
facts which were, after your resigna
'tiOn, used to the detriment Of the gov
eminent in the course Of private en-
ployment by some of the parties inter-
ested in said claims
The President says another inference
is that you have acted improperly
since you became secretary of the in
terror in reference to the Cunningham
cases and have used your influence to
interfere with Mr.. CLAWS efforts to
defeat the claims"
Lawler says: You have acted i'm
properly since becoming secretary of
the interior in reference to the con-
sderation of the Cunningham cases.
the improperly arising out of the fact
of your having been consulted by par
ties interested therein after your re-
tirement as commissioner and before
being appointed secretary"
Mr.. Taft's letter says: THE whole
record shows that Mr.. CLAWS was hon
estly convinced of the Illegal character
of the claims in the Cunningham
group. and that he was seeking evidence
to defeat these claims"
LAWYERS Letter credits him with no
such honest intent, stating: THE re-
ports and records have been carefully
examined and therefrom l find that.
not only are the differences without
justification, hut that CLAWS has beer
guilty of perversion and suppression
| of truth amounting to actual msrepre-
sentation."
Mr.. Taft in his letter authorizes Bal.
linger to dismiss CLAWS for filing a dis.
ingenious statement. unjustly impeach-
ing the official integrity of his superio,
officers
| LAWYER calls his statement "disengen.
uous and colored, seeking through inu.
endo and inference to create a suspicion
of improper conduct on the part of his
| superiors by a recital of isolated circum.
stances, disassociated from the surround
ing facts and quotations and detached
letters and kilograms, without reference
to the communications to which We're re-
piled or responses ELECTED to them"
The Lawler document is very much
longer than the entire Taft letter an5
deals exclusively with the Alaskan coal