Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1910-04-30
CALLS CLAWS
MALICIOUS
FALS|F|ER
BALLINGER INDIGNANT AT
CHARGE OF WR0NGD0ING


IBy Morning Journal special Leased Wirel
Washington, April ~ Indignantly
denying that he had been guilty of
any wrongdong Richard A. Ballin-
ger secretary of the interior, made q
bitter attack upon his critics while a
Witness before Ike Ballinger-pinchot
investigating committee today and
characterized many OF the sworn
statesmcnts of his principal accuscr.
L. Il CLAWS MS "willful and Deliberate
lies.
Led on bN his attorney Mn Ncr-
trccs, the cabinet officer answered
one by one the indictments Of those
who would destroy him lie referred
with apparent pride TO Theodore
Roosevelt's oft-expresscd high es-
tcem of him. particularly the former
presidents statement when he was
commissioner of the land office That
he had secured a $4,000 man for
$4,000.
He defended his conduct ia con
nection with the Cunningham coal
would take the same action today as
he did at the head Of the land office
If he had the same record before him.
After leaving the land office, Mr..
Ballingcr declared his only connec-
tion With the Cunningham cases WAS
IN bringing east from Seattle an aifi
daVit of Clarence CunnlnehAm ana
presenting 1t To Secretary Garfield.
For this service he said, lie had re-
a sfsi4 ft.tt no Haft Il
ed as travelling expenses. He said
that when he became secretary Of the
interior he refused To pass upon the
claims In any way.
Attorney Vertreos still hats to cx-
anime MT Ballinger ON the subject
of water power sites before Mr. Bran
deis, counsel for Mr. GlaVis and Mr.
Pepper, attorney for Pinchot begin
their eNamilatlans
The secrctarN's testimony today
dealt almost exclusively with the
CLAWS charges tomorrow it VIII ON
brace his attitude toward conserva-
ton. and the beginning of his con-
troversy with Forester pinchot. The
"dofense' hopes TO conclude by noon
tomorrow. II this hope is realized
Mr Rrandeis win have Mir Ballingcr
i'm hand an afternoon.
MIR Ballinger related his connec-
ton with Clarence Cunningham after
he had left the land officc. He said
hc met Cunningham about september
4. 1908, through G. j. smith ana that
Cunningham called on him three or
four times for Information as TO whnt
steps to take and prepared an outline
OF facts in connection with efforts
10 acquire coal lands in Alaska. He
said ne did not expect to represent
Cunningham, but ms he was coming
east. Cunningham and smith asked
him to take the affidavit to Garfield
Mr. Ballneer said he took II to CAR
field at his home in ONO, that he
again saw Garfield and also bennett
in Washington on september 23. and
that Garfield had said to him that IL
''th0sc people would come under the
law of May IS, 1908, they would set
their patents" otherwise they would
not.
MT. Baninger said he received 5000
or $3.50 from Cunningham which he
considered as merely travelling eN-
prnses
In the Wilson coal companys eases
CLAWS had testified that liallinger
had drawn am escrow agreement
Allen. right ia purchase four claims
after patents had been secured. AS
the claims had not been proved uN
CLAWS contended perjury would have
had TO have been committed i'm order
TO secure patents for those lnnds
Mr. Ballingor today cmphaticallN
denied that he had ever prepared
such an agreement and he character
lied the story as another case Whcr"
this man CLAWS deliberately attempt
ed 10 build up case 10 hesmifch my
character.
~ bitterly dcnouncc his tcstimon'
in that connection added the sccf'-
tary.
Questioned about CLAWS statcment
that ne met Mr.. Baliinger IN Seatll'
I'm the summer Of 1905 und that tho
latter told him the cunningham
claims were i'm "a haX fix Mr.. Halingor
Interrupted his lawyer impatentlN.
THAT is "a deliberate lie. he eN-
claimed. and like many other of his
statesments To- this committee. IL is
contemplate attempt Of that
man CLAWS to besmrch my charac-
ter
Passing on to- the time when ho ,
became secretary of The interior, sec ]
rotarv Balllngcr said "hc burned AN /
his bridges behind him, dissolved his /
law firm and severed ull connections I
with corporations.
AIR. Ncrtrees asked Mr. Ballinger /
20 explain whether, as charged hl /
CLAWS. ne hnd changed his NINA |
over night" about asking AitorneN /
General Mickcrsham for an opinion +
as 10 the proper construction OF the /
law of MAY s. after he had promised /
10 do so az Fl conference with CLAWS, +
Commissioner bennett and Chlei oi \
Field Division schwartz. t'laNis reared /
Assistant Secretary Pierce. To whom +
thc secretary had referred the matter .
for an opinion. might So construe the I
law as to validate the Cunuinsham 7