The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-03-02
WILSOL IN RAGE
AS HE DISAVOWS
PINCHOT LETTER
Continued from Page one.

I
was disappointing to the former Fores-
ters friends.
This charge in regard to the false state
ments was one of the most important
contained In the bitter statement which
Mr.. Pinchot made the other day just
before taking the witness stand. 1t turns
out now that the statements of which he
complains we're not made by Secretary
BaIlinger at all, but by Judge Ronald,
the Secretary's former law partner. Mr..
/ Pinchot said that Mr. Bailinger had sent
this Ronald letter TO the President as an
exhibit, and thus had stood sponsor for
| all that II contained. 1t was brought out,
| however. that Mr. Ballinger had written
a letter to the President two months be-
fore he had submitted the Ronald COM
munication. and IN the former letter be
had set forth the very facts as Mr.. Pin
chot saws they existed. Several members
of the committee asked Mr.. Pinehot to
explain how Secretary Ballinger could
have intentionally sent these false state
ments when he had already actually laid
the real facts before the President
"I cannot explain the processes OF Mr.
BaIlinger's mind" was the only explana-
ton the witness could give.
Had Never Met CLAWS.
on cross-examination It was shown also
| that Mr.. Pinchot had never met CLAWS
when he wrote 10 President Taft intro
duoing him as man he had known foI
several years. Mr.. Vertrees. counsel for
Secretary Ballinger. also compelled Mr.
| Plnchot 10 admit that ne was mistaken
when he wrote to the President that GER
tain lands had been restored 20 entry by
Secretary Baninger and that patents ir
the Cunningham cases had been defeated
by reason Of the Interference Of tbs
! Forest Bureau. Mr.. Vertrees insisted
upon characteriEing these statements as
untrue. while Mr.. Pinehot compromised
by saying they were mistakes"
The committee room was crowded al
day with spectators. most Of them
women. sympathizers Of Mr.. Pinchot- The
doors hadn't been open fifteen minutes
In the morning before every seat was
taken. At times a long line OF women
was standing in the corridor, waiting to
gain admittance.
The committee summoned Secretary
Wilson from a Cabinet meeting. or rather
notified him that Mr.. Pinchot was about
TO testify In regard 10 the Dolliver let
ter. Secretary Wilson himself had re-
auested the committee 10 notify him In
the event OF this matter coming up. Mr.
Pinchot was not responsible for the SUBJ
I ject being introduced az the hearing
Chairman Nelson asked a question about
Dolliver letter. and Mr.. Pinchot said
that he would refuse 10 testify on that
/ subject unless the COMMITTEES instructed
/ him by a vote. The vote was delayed
until the Secretary OF Agriculture ar
rived. and as he said he had no objec-
/ ton, the vote was taken.
/ Pinehot said that ne completed his
letter 10 Senator Dolliver on January 6
and Immediately after sending it 10 tbs
Capitol wrote a letter Ia the Secretary
which he personally carried 10 the De-
/ paTtment OF Agriculture. The last para
graph OF this letter. he said. referred tC
/ the fact that he had sent Senator Dol
liver the letter he asked for.
Consulted with Wilson.
After reading the letter" said Mr.
Pinchot. the Secretary asked me what
was the use Of referring to the DoIliveI
letter in my letter to him transmitting tht
Price and Shaw reports. thereupor
took a pencil from his desk and struci
out the paragraph referring to the Dol
liver letter. At the Secretarys direction
I had the letter rewritten by his private
stenographer, and as it was finally de-
livered to him it made no reference tC
the Dolliver letter
The original Of the rewritten letter was
| introduced In evidence by Mr.. Pepper
and the letterhead was that Of the Agri-
cultural Department. The original letter
with pencil lines drawn through tht
| clause referring to Senator Dolliver, also
was introduced. It was written on For
est Service stationery.
When Secretary Wilson took the wit
ness stand he began his testimony with
the remark that some OF the statements
made by Pinchot were correct and some
were incorrect. The Secretary was some
what excited throughout his testimony
He almost shouted his answers 10 the
questions asked. pounded the table in
front of him to add emphasis to his re-
marks, and his hands trembled percepti-
/ bly,.
He never got my consent to send that
letter" said the Secretary. There were
two things in il that made my consent
| impossible. He had put himself in the
position of a supreme court to review the
action OF the President and he also as
sumed by authority
The Secretary said he did have a con-
versation with Pinchot about writing a
letter TO Senator DoIliver and referred to
the Presidents executive order Such re-
quests. he said. were daily occurrences
"Pinchot,' said the Secretary. did not
/ tell me he was going TO send a letter
dealing with the President. He said he
was going to send something with regard
to departmental affairs. Had he said he
was going 10 the length of questioning
whether the President had settled the
CLAWS case right or wrong I would not
have allowed him to send 1t.
Mr. Wilson said he was kept in ignor-
ance OF what was going on In the contro-
versy between Ballinger and Pinchot.
Kept It from Wilson.
''They kept this business from me-" he
said. when I did ask for report about
It he kept telling me would have it IN a
day or two. The letter he sent TO DoIli-
yer would have been in conformity with
what asked for. What did be bring me:
I -
own work. Pinehot had this information
in his possession for two months before
got it. Pinchot wants you to believe
that because / raised no objection to q
letter to Dolliver regarding departmental
affairs that I gave my consent to the let
ter he did write. never heard of tina;