New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-03-02

Finchots dismissal. came ate this after
noon before the investigating committee
II started with Mr. Pinchot's reading into
the record his letter OF dismissal.
What have you TO say TO the charge
that YOU were disrespectful to the Presi-
dent" asked Mr.. Pepper his counsel.
Il contend that the expression of an
honest belief that the President had acted
under misapprehension is not dsrespect.
What now, as to showing a lack of
confidence in the purpose of the President
to take the defence of TIE peoples rights in
his own hands,?
If the President had signifed his pur-
pose to take matters in his own hands /
would have been happy to leave it there.
But the President letters showed he would
continue 70 leave il in Ballingers hands,
and that he had great confidence in Mr..
BallinSer.'
What as TO your being ;nsubordinate?
y was not bat ] do not desire TO lay
stress upon that point, for / should have
Teen insubordinate without second
thought # I had considered ii necessary
to bring the facts before the public.
Were you. in fact. insubordinate
AS matter OF fact | was not. But
have no desire for personal vindication
and would rather not so into that ques-
ton
why not?" asked Nj. Pepper
Because it is not important. and | would
regret the necessity of bringing out a
difference of opinion between Secretary
Wilson and myself 1t would be a painful
thing To get into controversy with him,
and for that reason have kept still
Senator Nelson pressed his question as to
I whether or not Mr. Piuchot had consulted
the Secretary before sending the letter.
Mr. Pinchot said he would decline TO an
swer the question unless il was put by the
whole committee. motion 10 press the
question was pat and unanimously carried
/ Did you consult with the Secretary be-
fore sending that letter." repeated Chair
man Nelson.
Swears He Consulted Wilson.
y did"
! The witness proceeded 10 explain his an
swer by saying that he went 10 Secretary
Wilson on January 3 and told him Senator
Deliver had requested information from
/ the Forest Service and that the Secretary
made no objection.
we discussed al some length the right
/ Of Senator Dolliver 10 get the information
/ from ME. AS to the Presidents order for
+, bidding subordinates to give information to
Congress, Secretary Wilson said, You and
! ] will have 10 trouble about that order,
or words to that effect. / believed | had
his consent. / described TO him the situa-
tion as 10 the controversy between the In
terror Department and the Forest Service.
/ told him of the intention of our opponents
TO magnify what had been done by Messrs.
Price and Shaw, and that | thought the
only wise thing for us TO do was TO lay
our hand dorn on the table. admit what
we had done and force the Congressional
inquiry 10 the points il ought 10 devote
itself.
L was convinced that Secretary Wilson
favored my effort to defend Price and
Shaw. although he did not favor my plan
of getting publicity at the same time the
other side did. | felt | had. however,
secured his permission 10 write TO Senator
Deliver"
Mir Pnchot said he had endeavored to
see Secretary Wilson the morning that his
letter TO senator Deliver was read in the
Senate. to submit to him his letter trans
Price and Shaw telling of their transactions
with CLAWS He did not find the Secretary
until the afternoon. however, In this let
ter of transmittal Mr.. Pinchot said he
had included a clause referring to the
transmitted # :; copy of his own letter to
senator DolIiver.- Secretary Wilson asked
him what the clause meant. Mr.. Pinchot
said. and ne told him that it referred 10
the letter they had previously discussed.
! The serceiary told him TO strike out all
: reference TO the Dolliver letter and reNrtte
T the letter of transrnittai. This he did, Mr.
: Pinchot said III the Secrelara's office, on
DEPARTMENT Of Agriculture paper.
The former Forester ended his direct
testimony by saving: If ! had had ten
/ minutes with President Taft-if / had
been accorded hearing-it would nave
! been easier for me To have convinced him
that | had been neither disrespecful nor
insubordinate and thus could have avoid
ed the necessity which he felt of relieV-
/ ing me Of the public service
5 The cross-eXamination of Mr.. Pinchot
vas delayed until Secretary Wilson, who
desired 10 take the stand at once. could
he heard The grfzzled old official, who
holds the record for Cabinet service was
plainly agitated when he took the oath as
4 witness and when he began TO testify
his voice was high pitched and strained
MI Vertrees counsel FOR Secretary Bal
tlinger. undertook the direct examination.
; You have heard What MI Fihchot has
said. Have you any statement to mike
/ he asked.
some Of the things Mr. Pinchot has
said here-a good many of them, began
Secretary Wilson. are correct. But there
are other things that are not correct
+ The Secretary brought his fst down on
the table with a resounding whack. He
then continued:
Never Consented, Says Wilson.
He. neves got my consent. to send that
letter 10 the Senate. There are two things
in il that would have made il impossible
for me to IA e given my consent. He at
temptcd to review and judge h mental
! processes of the President. He so as
sIined the authority thai was mine TO dis
ciplin~ officers of M department. Mr.. Pin
cho- saws il WIS January that talked
OF this matte~. There is no use making a
point as 10 dates IT may have been the
I'd OF 4ti7 We did have the talk.
Ever since that order by the President
it has beel the custom when Congressman
a SIX for information from the officers of my
department to come to me and tel. me that
: Congressman wanted to know Ills or tina /.
/ have always told them to go anead and
give the necessary informa ton. Nobody
cNer came TO me however, and NJ. Pincho>
saws he did. 20 get general order 10 send
-, Ar"