Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-05-17
TAFT ADMITS USING
PORTIONS Of LETTER
WRITTEN BY LAW[ER
In Personal Letter to Chair
man Nelson He Says Law
ler'S Opinion Was Prepared
at His Request

WA. 1INGTON, May 1s.-President
Taft in person last night took hand in
tr~ situation which has arisen concern
ing the inside history of his letter Of
September IS, generating Secretary
Ballinger from the charges OF Special
Agent L. r. CLAWS, and thorizing the
dismissal of Claws.
over his own signature he addressed
long letter to Senator Knute Nelson.
chairman of the BaIlinger-Pinchot in
vestigating committee, setting forth in
minute detail the sequence of events
fonowing his receipt at Beverly on
August is last, of the charges of Gla-
Wis.
The president makes no direct mention
of the statement of Frederick M. Kerby,
the young stenograph-r in Secretary
Ballingers office, published yesterday,
in which the stenographer declared that
the presidents letter of exoneration
was prepared in Ballinger's office by Os
car Lawler, assistant attorney general
for the interior department. The
utterance of Mr. Taft was, however,
obviously provoked by Kerby's state
ment.
MIR. Taft declares not only that Law
Ter did prepare such a letter as herby
saiI he did, but that he dId so by the
presidents specific erection. When ne
received it he found, ne says, that 1t was
not what he wanted to issue, and ne
wrote the letter himself in the form In
which he desired 1t, using from LAWYERS
draft only one or two general state
Their and takes up the question OF the
'back dating" of Attorney General
understands summary OF the CLAWS
charges, to which Attorney Louis ID.
Brandeis has drawn attention. Mr..
Taft says that the attorney generals
letter was In fact back dated, and
that this also was done by his specific
direction.
Following is the full text of the presi-
dents letter:
PRESIDENTS LETTER.
The White House, washington, d. c.
Nav Is, 1910.-My Dear Senator Nelson:
In the hearing before the committee to
investigate the interior department and
forestry service, reference has been
made to my decision upon the COM
paint and charges of L. r. CLAWS, filed
with me on the 18th Of August last'
other officials of the interior depart
ment. The majority OF the committee
have decided that my action in this re-
gard was not within the jurisdiction of
the committee to investigate. In spite
Of this ruling, references to the matter
have crept into the record. For this
reason, I deem 1t proper to write you
and state with such accuracy as my
memory permits what the facts are:
Il 1t,o 1rGr
left with me by him on August Is.
1909 I turned them over to the at
tornev general who happened to be
in the neighborhood, and he made
notes upon his reading. We both had
personal knowledge in respect to Sec
rotary Ballinger's attitude toward the
Alaska coal claims. which was the
chief subject of innuendO and complaint,
for Mr.. Ballinger had, very early in the
administration, consulted up both in re-
gard to them.
within two or three days after the
filing of the charges, in a meeting at
which the secretary of the treasury,
the attorney general and secretary Of
the navy were present, full discus
sion of the CLAWS statement was had.
n resulted in a general conclusion that
jealousy between the bureaus OF the
interior department and the forestry
bureau probably explained the attitude
of the interior department officials.
but that the intimations of bad faith
by CLAWS against Mr.. Ballinger and
the others required that the statement
be submitted to them for answer. Ac-
cordingly, copies of the statement were
sent to Secretary Ballinger. to Assist
ant Secretary Pierce, to Commissioner
bennett and to Chief of Field Service
Schwartz.
MIR. Ballinger was at Seattle, but
upon receipt of the charges he came
TO Washington TO prepare his answer.
On Monday, September s, Mr.. Ballinger
reached Beverly. accompanied by Mr..
Lawler, the assistant attorney general
of the department of justice. Mr.. Bal
linger sent to my house on that day
the answers of the various persons
concerned. together with voluminous
record of exhibits.
had a conference with him the