Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1910-03-27
Committee ReSoIuteIy Declines
to Summon Secretary Of IN
terror and Force Him to Su5-
nit to Hostile Questioning.
VERTREES PRESENTS
CASE FOR DEFENSE
CharacterizeS PInchot as Vain
Man FIattefed by His Own
Publicity Bureau Sarcastic
Reference TO CLAWS,

rs. Morning Journal sDccia, S.ases wirel
Washington, March 2o.-After the
Eallinger- Plnchot Investigation COM
mittee mad twice declined to grant the
request Of Attorney Brandeis, repre-
senting Louis Il. CLAWS and others, to
compel the immediate attendance OF
Secretary Ballinger as a witness, John
J. Ncrtrces tate today made the OPEN
ing statement in Mr.. Balinger's be-
half and began the presentation Of
testimony. Mr.. Nertrees declared that
The testimony Of CLAWS and others
would be shown TO lie grossly false
There is no act of Mr. Ballnger, p"
asserted the attorney TO which II is
possible to ascribe an unworthy mo-
tive or improper purpose otherwise
than through the suspicion of a per-
vt.rted mind or the resentment OF 2
discharged public servant. or the pro
gram Of an INSCRIPTIONS political in
trigue.r
Mr. vertrecs statement stdrkled
with epigrams In one Df these, re-
fcrring 70 the acts ef officers Of the
Inst administration, he said
There Was the iesl &c men March
Z l|09. came Inc ieieii OF avs
Although Mr. Ncrtrees was particu-
larly referring to Messrs Garfield and
Pinchot. some members OF the com
mittee, after adjournment, We're in
clined TO construe the statement as n
ning at Mr. Roosevelt and SO ex-
pressed themselves
Patriot CLAWS. came in for "a
large share of Mr.. Neitrecs attention,
CLAWS. suspicious BY nature, be-
came perverted by detective service"
CLAWS. believed to be honest ana
known to be capable.
CLAWS refusal to speak is to be
aseribed to a vanity that brooks no
suggestion.
Mr. Vertrtes also dweIt at length
upon Clifford pinchot and the PIN
the forestry.
MT Pinchot, vain ana fmttered by
his own publicity bureau.
"Pinchot ceased to be the depart
mont OF agriculture"
He was exposed and MIR Ballinger
had committed the objectionable sin
Of defeating the ambition Of IA self-ex-
tggerated man"
Here was the birthplace Of that
spirit of resentment and revenge. To
assassinate the good name OF Mr. Bal
linger and bring reproach on the pres
ident of the United states who had
not retained Mr. Garfield ana had dis
missed Mr. Pinchot."
"Of Mr.. Balinger the attorney
said,
MIR Ballinger holds that conserya-
iion is not thing of caprice, but of
law"
True conservation has no sturdier
supporter than he
Those who have already been born
and now breathe have rights as well
rs those yet to be born and set To
breathe
development ought not to be ev-
lied by theorists and doctrinarics.
I'm restoring to entry vast areas OF
The public domain which he believed
TO have been vrongiully withdrawn,
Mr. Ballinger stll believes he was
right, but If he erred he denies mat
1t was an error for which the good
faith Of his official action should he
questioned by those who would sub
stitute opinion for law"
"Not site was lost"
lie could have transferred Mr..
Gnvis al amy time and obviously
would have done so had he been
minded 10 bring about improper Off
nial action. which Patriot CLAWS was
and thwartng where he
was"
Mr.. Vertrrcs statement was long
one. going into the details OF prac-
ticallv every phase OF the case. He
said it would be shown that as re-
cards th, Cunningham claims and I'm
III other matters. Mr.. Ballinger was
'cIean-handed' aud that his actions
lad been those OF AN honest and up
light citizen and official.
The day was replote with interest.
rhe growing bitterness between At
orncys Nertrces and Brandeis mani
rested itself in several sharp eX-
'hanges.
The demands of Mr.. Brandeis first.
hat Mr.. Baiingrr appear as Wit (
less To- bs examined as "a part of the
.ase for the prosecution and later 4
hat ht- Be required 10 appear as the
irst witness FOR the defense called
,ui IiveIv discussions between counsel +
nd among members of the commit
ee The first request was unanimous
a. denied The second request. made .
n the afternoon. was considered IN
executive session for FORTY minutes .
- the end of which time IL likewise
MAS denied
The vote an the second proposition