The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-05-15
VIGOROUS DENIAL
FROM PRESIDENT
Taft Pr omptly Puts
Kerby in Ananias
Class.
NO FOUNDATION
FOR STATEMENT
President Personally Dictated
Letter Exonerating Ballinger,
and Story That 1t Was Pre-
pared by Assistant Attor-
ney-General Lawler Is +
Declared False.

Washington, D. c., May 14-osca1
LAWYER. assistant attorney general fol
the Interior Department. OF which
Richard Ballinger is the head.
did In fact prepare a draft of letter
addressed to Secretary Ballinger, and
in such form and phrase that 1t might
have been adopted verbatim and signed
by the President as Mr. Taft's exonera-
ton of the secretary of the charges on
L. II. CLAWS. and authorizing the dis
missal OF CLAWS from his position OF
special agent OF the Interior Departs
ment.
This draft by Mr.. LAWYER was deliv-
cred this afternoon to the Balllnser-
Pinchot committee and ordered spread
upon the records OF the investigation.
Careful comparison OF the Lawler draft
with the letter of the President shows
that Mr.. Taft did In fact adopt prac-
tically verbatim two short paragraphs
Of Mr.. LAWYERS language. The subs
stance of the two documents is other.
wise widely dissimlar.
On Every Tongue.
The subject was on every tongue to-
night in Washington. where almost
| every man woman and child Is bitterly
| either a Ballinger or a Pinchot parts
| san.
The thing came to head this ats
| ernoon in the publication of statos
/, ment. attributed to Frederick NJ. ker-
by. one OF the stenographers in the
| office of Secretary Ballfnger, In which
] Kerby related at length the circum-
! stances under which he alleged the
Lawler draft to have been prepared.
| Kcrby asserted further that all of the
! preliminary drafts used in the pre-
paration of the letter were burned In
CRATE in the Interior Department at
the suggestion and under the super
vision of Don NJ Carr, MIR. BallinSer's
| private secretary. Kerby drew the
| inference that tho Lawler letter had
! been adopted by the President essen
| TALLY as his own; that Mr.. Ballinger
and his legal adviser had therefore
4 virtually prepared the generation.
| which Mr.. Taft had issued over his
own signature.
Almost simultaneously with the
publication of the Kerby statement.
Acknowledgement Wickersham sent to
the Ballinser-Pinchot Investigating
committee. then in session, copy OF
the Lawler draft accompanied by q
letter to Chairman Nelson, in which
! Mr. Wickersham declared that thu
document had been overlooked in
sending the papers requisitioned by
| the committee at the behest of Attor>
isney Brandeis.
| White House Statement.
| The following statement was given
out at the White House late this at-
ternoon:
"With reference to the published
affidavit OF r. NJ. <crby, stcnoE-
rnphcr in the Office of the Secretary.
or the Interior, to the effect that tho
Presidents letter OF September 49,
1909, generating Secretary Baliing-
err, was substantially prepared for tho
Presidents signature by Assistant ATT
ltorncy-Genernl LnwIer, 1t was said nj
| the White House to-day that there liz
absolutely no foundation for any sucls
statement. The President dictated hia
letter personally ms the result of hiA
own investigation of the records and
| consideration of documents and pa
pers In his possession mt the time and
upon the report to him of the Attor-
/ ncy-Genernl."
1t was added at the White House
! to day that a comparison Of the Law
Ter memorandum as submitted to the
!Ballinger- Pinchot investigation CONS
4 mittee day and the Presidents lets
4 ter itself Will show that the KerbY
4 charges have no foundation. KERRY.
1t was stated was an appointee OF
former Secretary Garfield.
Acknowledgement Wickersham de-
/
I.awler did not prepare the letter
signed by President Taft. There Is.
| only one clause which, in a measure.
the President adopted" said Mr.. Wick
ersham. What Mr.. Lawler prepared
/ was what might be termed suggested
form of letter which the President
could adopt II he saw fit--a practical
1 of every day occurrence in the eNecu-
| tive departments of the soVernmen
Says It's "Lie."
Il. C. Finney. assistant to the Scores
| tary Of the Interior. declared that
/ Kerby's assertion that he (Finney)
| took part in any conference on the
| subject of the Lawler memorandum
| was q lie
Attorney Brandes counsel for Z.
r. CLAWS. has made several efforts to
| obtain the Lawler memorandum. and
| has promised that 1t would appear so
similar to the Presidents letter of
September 1S as to prove that II
formed the basis of the Presidents
!. letter of adoption.
Attention was called to tho memor-
andum by Mr., Rrandeis when he be.
/ gan cross examination of Fred Den.
nett. commissioners % the general land
! office, this afternoon before the In.
i vestigating committee,
Asked by Mr.. Brandeis what hd
knew about tho preparation OF tha
! LAWYER memorandum, Mr.. bennett de-
4 MED knowing anything about the
\ matter. He denied that he had had
i any conference or correspondence with
/ Attorney General Wickersham. In ref.
i erence to the summary OF the Glavts4
il charges, which MIR Wickersham pres
Il pared for the President. His state'
!, ment that he took no part In the cons
ference previous to the preparation 81
Il the Iawler latter was IL fiat contrss.
4 diution OF Kerby's statement,
II Ixerby's Charge,
There Was published here this nf-N
. ternoon what purports TO be state
ment OF Frederick NJ. kerry. a ste-Ss
n ix,t, Nhi IA a