Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1910-03-02
DISPUTE Regarding letter
WILSON DENIES GIVING PINCHO1
AUTHORITY TO WRITE
LETTER.
President Taft's Name Was Brought
Into the Controversy - Pinehot
Evidently Misunderstood 'Direc-
tions Of His Superior Officer-Case
Continues Friday Morning.
(By Associated Press.)


Washington, Mar. 1.-The expected
clash between Clifford Pinchot and
Secretary of Agriculture Wilson over
the disputed question as to whether
or not the secretary had given the
former forester permission to write
to Senator Dolliver the letter which,
resulted in Mr.. Pinchot's dismissal ,
came before the Ballinger-Pinchot in
vestigating committee today.
Mr.. Pinchot declared he had dis
cussed the matter at length with
Secretary Wilson and that he under
stood his superior officer had given
him express permission to write to
Senator Dolliver. Secretary Wilson
Immediately took the stand and as
serted that while he had given Pin
chot permission to write to Dolliver
concerning Departmental affairs
he never did, and never would, have
given him permission to write let
ter criticising the president Of the
United States.
Under cross examination, almost
wholly by the democratic members OF
the committee, Secretary Wilson was
uncertain as to just what had passed
between himself and the forester and
became somewhat mixed at times as
to JUS what letters the committee
men we're referring to in their rapid
fire of questions. The secretary re-
iterated again and again he never
saw or Eeard of the letter Pinchot
wrote until it was read in the SEN
ate.
The secretary of agriculture, who
holds all records for cabinet service,
was plainly agitated when he took
the stand.
Pinchot had been reluctant to tes-
tify to anything that would bring
hi minto controversy with the chief
under whom he had served twelve
years. But the chairman insisted he
should go into the matter.
Pinchot declared that he and Will
son went so far as to discuss the ex
ecutive order issued by President
Taft forbidding subordinate officers
of the various departments from Civ
ing information to congress, and he
added that the secretary said:
Ou anu Will huSS AAo - O'A"A>
about that order"
Admitting that his memory failed
him as to certain points, Secretary
Wilson always came back to the
statement that he never under any
circumstances would have given Pin
chot permission to write the letter
which caused his separation from the
service.
The secretary said he urged Pin
chot not to carry out his purpose to
"Blanket'' a message from the pres
ident exonerating Ballinger, by send
ing in letter to Senator Dolliyer.
But" persisted counsel for Pin
ctot, "If Pinchot was only to be per-
mitted to write about departmental
matters, how coud you have thought
this letter would blanket the presi-
dents message"
81 don't know that, that was Pin.
chot's idea"
The day was rep1ete with incident.
The cross-examinatiOn of Mr.. Pinchot
was begun late in the afternoon and
will be continued when the commit
tee meets again Friday.
Mr. Pinchot denied that he had
been embittered by a dismissal
which he considered as unjustified.
He denied, also, that there was a
specific movement to discredit Bal
Finger. He added, however, that he
and former Secretary Garfield, CLAW
Is and others are concerned In
movement for the conservation OF
narural resources and that they re-
gard Mr.. Ballinger as one Of the
greatest enemies of that movement.