The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-05-14
BALLINGER HELPED WRITE
LETTER OF VINDICATION
(Continued from Page one.)

public lands In Alaska containing bill
lions OF tons OF coal, valued at hun
dreds OF millions of dollars.
Thus was Ballinger, secretary OF the
interior, appointed by Taft, exoner'
Gted.
Thus was CLAWS, a conscientious
and able subordinate in the interior
department, who, out of a sense OF
duty, appIised the president OF the
facts, fred from the public service.
Being asked by congress to submit
the Whole record" TO the Investigate
ing committee Taft sent over a mass
of documents and files that have since
been printed in over 900 printed pages
and which contain, In all, over half q
million words.
At liberal estimate, Taft had about
eight hours In which to carefully read
and weigh this mass OF record during
the seven days 1t was in his hands.
II was sent to him on September 6 and
he dated his Ballinger letter Sept. ID.
Document Is Left Out.
When congress asked for the record
which Taft had considered he includ-
ed among the documents decision
OF over $4,000 words by Attorney
General Wickersham, but, under the
persistent examination OF Attorney
Brandeis, Ballinger has read letter
from Wickersham admitting that the
decision was not written for months
after the Taft letter was signed.
More than that. Not only was this
Emost important document put, falsely
into the record, but an equally Inn
portant one was left out
The one that was left out was a
letter, written in the first person and
very substantially the Taft letter, but
dictated by Oscar Lawler, law officer
in Ballinger's department.
The story of this mysterious Lawler
! memorandum Is told by Frederick M
Kerby, stenographer In Baflinger's OF
| fee.
The following statement was made
by Kerby:
Almost Immediately after Balm
ger, became secretary, Oscar LAWYER
was appointed assistant attorney-gen
eral for the interior department. On
June "a, 1909 | left for long trip
through the west, with Secretary Bal
linger. Ballinger's purpose was to
go thoroughly over the field with the
idea Of studying the reclamation ser
vice. Ed. A. Keys, Jack Ballinger's
| brother-in-law, had previously been
sent over the reclamation projects by
Ballinger as an inspector. While
| Keys was out he wrote TO BallingeI
| in Washington a report from which
this Is substantially one statement:
mot Big Enough For His job"
al agree with you that Newell
chief of the reclamation service. Is
not big enough for his job. This let
| ter is now in the record Of the in
vestigation where IL may be examined
THE Ballinger party, of which
was member travelled through the
northwest all OF last summer. We
! had been in Seattle one day, and were
planning to make a trip down through
California, and finally to join Taft or
his western trip in Denver, when Bal
linger got letter from Taft contain
ing the CLAWS charges and asking fol
| a reply to them.
J Immediately Ballinger switched
his plans, cut the trip short to go e
! Washington at once and answer the
charges from there. Accordingly Bal
linger, Carr and myself started bacl
at once and got to Washington on Fri
day, Sept. 8, Just before noon.
We had been working on Ballin
gers answer to the CLAWS charged
during our trip across the continen
and we were all ready to take up tn,
work again in the afternoon when
reached the office. All OF the officers
concerned were called into consulta
ton that afternoon. We worked hare
until Sunday. Then Ballinger ant
Lawler left Monday night for Bever
ly. They did not return to the Office
again until Thursday morning.
Upon the return Lawler took nj
his quarters in BallingeT's private OF
fee, calling in Massey and myself 70
dictation.
ut was obvious from the way Law
Ter dictated the letter what IL was in
tended to be. Moreover there was n,
attempt at concealment. The lette
began: Sir II referred TO Ballinge
as You In each case, and the pei
sonal pronoun Il was used through
out. From the context the Il coul
be no other than Taft himself.
Purport 10 Evident.
There could be no question tina
LAWYER was drafting a letter 70
Taft's signature. reviewing the Claw
charges and generating the secrt
tary. II was written I'm such forr
that Taft might have adopted IL bod
lily.
"As have said, the letter was dfctat
ed In Ballingers private Office by Law
Ter. Probably half a dozen draft
we're made before the final one wa