Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-01-08
The Dismissal of Pinchot.

The Presidents letter to Mr.. Pinchot,
removing him from the service. puts the
case in a light in which the public has not
previously been in position to view it
and leaves possible question of the
propriety of the chief foresters dismissal.
The Presidents statement of the case
makes plain the fact that Mr. Pinchot
was guilty of INSTRUMENTATION in declin-
ing to submit TO his immediate chief, the
Secretary of Agriculture. a recommends
ton regarding the proffered resignation
Of Mr. Price. and in submitting to the
Senate through Senator Dolliver a state
ment of the case amounting to a virtual
conformation of the offenses of his assist
ant and his law officer in instigating at
tachs upon the Secretary of the Interior
Mr.. Pinchot's offense was the more
Migrant in that he deliberately chose a
time for the presentation of this state
ment TO the Senate to coincide with the
Presidents submission to Congress OF the
Attorney Generals report upon the CLAWS
charges against the Secretary of the In
terror.
These circumstances left the President
no alternative but to dismiss the chief
forester. As he states in his letter, he
Is charged with the duty of maintaining
the dignity of the highest office in the
American system of government, and to
permit SO deliberate breach of discipline
to pass unpublished would demoralize the
entire administrative service. The dis
missal of Mr.. Pinchot in this situation
does not affect the broad question of the
conservation of resources and does not
initiate against a full inquiry into and
fair conclusion upon the personal and
official questions now pending in what is
known as the Pinchot-Ballinger contro-
versy. Congress is about to investigate
this matter. A resolution to that effect
has been introduced in each house ard
has been adopted in the House of Rep
resentatives. Mr.. Pinchot and his dis
missed subordnates can push their ac-
cusstions against Secretary Ballinger
more freely. fully and satisfactorily to
themselves from outside the public sery-
Ice than from within it, The investiga-
ton will disclose the truth. and the Presi-
dent Will act upon the facts disclosed.
1t is regrettable in the public interest
that Mr.. Pinchot has pursued course in
evitaby leading to his separation from a
service in which he has been of great val
ue to the people of this country Of his
sincerity and his unSelfish interest in the
preservation of the American forests and
the conservation of the natural resources
there can be no possible question. He is
high type of citizen, whose devotion
to the public welfare is an inspiration
In his own line he is an expert quail
fed by lifelong study, and there is
no estimating the worth of his services
during the years of his official activity
But in this instance Mr.. Pinchot became
involved i'm situation from which there
was no escape save through resignation
or dismissal. 1t has been obvious for
months that the President hoped to re-
tain him in service and to adjust the
differences between him and the Secre-
tary of the Interior and to insure a
harmonious administration in all direc-
tons The issue having been laid be-
fore the President in the terms of the
CLAWS charges, which he found upon a
close examination to be unsustained
nothing was left possible but the vindi-
cation of the Secretary. the announce
ment of which should have been a signal
for the cessation of all attacks upon him
from within the administrative organize
ton. If Mr.. Pinchot felt that he could
not consistently remain member of the
administration in these circumstances he
should have resigned. AS he chose to
remain and to commit an act of insubor.
dination objectionable in any circum-
stances, and particularly SO under the
conditions existing, he invited the action
which was taken yesterday and of which
the Presidents letter is a complete and
convincing explanation.