Los Angeles herald., 1910-11-28
z REPORTS WILL
BLAME BALLINGER
Democrats and Insurgents to
Condemn Secretary in Alas
ka Coal Deals
NEW LINEUP MAY COME
Congress to Choose from Three
VerdiCtS-Hot Committee
Fight Expected
Especial to The Herald

WASHINGTON, Nov. 27.-One of
the warmest fights of years is looked
for in a week, when Senator Knute
Nelson of Minnesota, chairman, and
the eleven other members of the joint
committee of investigation convene in
Washington and begin anew their
efforts to solve the problems which
have grown out of the Ballinger-Pin-
chot-Glavis controversy, which is now
passing into its second year.
The last sessions of the committee
in September broke up in q good
sized row, and the members have been
roasted to a fare-youwell by both
friends and foes of the administration
for acting like spoiled schoolboyS
after saying things about one another.
The adjourned meeting to be held
December was decided on by the
six Republican members early last
September. when they met in chicago
after having walked out of the com
mittee room in Minneapolis several
days before, refusing to complete a
quorum.
A great many people over the coun-
try have grown rather tired of the long
drawn out investigation, which was
begun January 26 last, and which it
was thought would be concluded weeks
before the adjournment of congress.
Perform" is the command which is
now coming to the members from all
sides.
MAY CHANGE THEIR BASES
The committee, however, will find
itself in somewhat of a dilemma, for
the question is asked, how can it per-
form when there is such a split be-
tween the insurgent Republican and
the Democratic members, who uphold
CLAWS and his fight to have the Cum
ningham coal claims Cancelled as
fraudulent, on side, and the standpat
Republican members. who uphold Sec
reary Ballinger and his administra-
ton of the interior department, on
the other.
1t is practically sure that the lineup
of the members which existed at the
September meetings of the committee
will continue, but there is a chance
of a switch at the last moment which
will upset calculations entirely. While
none of the committeeman has shown
by sign or word that he is shaky, yet
a number of Senator Ballinger's s
friends are known to be displeased
with the action of several members of
the committee during the fall meet
ings.
Senator Flint of California, whose
votes during the investigation made
it appear that he intended to uphold
the secretary of the interior, TOOK
himself to Europe at the time he was
needed and left the standpat members
without their quorum of seven. Rep
resentative Denby of Michigan. also
an upholder of Ballinger in the inves-
tigation, absented himself from the first
meeting in Minneapolis, but was pres
ent at later sessions. DENLY was the one
member who had to fight the Balllnger-
ism and Cannonism issue most in his
campaign, and this was the chiet
cause of his defeat, for otherwise he
is popular. Senator Root was busy
getting settled in New York after his
return from The Hague about the time
the first meeting was called, and he
did not put in an appearance until the
meeting of the six Republican mem
bers in Chicago.
THREE REPORTS TO BE MADE
At the time of the early fall meet
ings there was some talk in admins
tration circles that the secretary had
been forsaken just when he had eX-
pected a Vindication by the seven Re
publican members who had voted for
him while the investigation was on,
and that he had been made to suffer
the embarrassment of having the con-
duct of his department made an issue
during the campaign. Many friends
of the administration, however, were
glad that the quorum was broken at
Minneapolis, thinking that the post
ponement of a report until after cleo
ton would better the G. o. p.'s chances.
AS things have resulted, it has been
shown that the Withholding Of the re-
port did a great deal of harm rather
than to help the party in the least.
AS matters now stand there will be
three reports made by the committee
to congress and be voted on by both
houses. Two of the reports were made
public at the Minneapolis meeting,
that Of Judge Madison, the insurgent
representative from Kansas, and the
Democratic report submitted by SEN
ator Fletcher of Florida. The iattter
is Joined in by Senator Purcell OF
North Dakota and Representatives
Ollie James of Kentucky and James
NJ. Graham of Illinois. Both the pro-
gressive and the Democratic reports
condemn Secretary Ballinger. 1t Is
practically sure that Chairman Nelson
will be Joined by Senators Sutherland
of Utah. Root of New York, Repre-
sentatives DENLY of Michigan and
Olmstead of Pennsylvania, and prob
ably by Senator Flint of California
and Representative Mccall of Massa-
chusetts, in a report which VIII up
hold Secretary Ballinger. The mem
hers of the committee ar irritable and
more or less wearied of the response
bilitv which has been thrown on them
and after a few clashes at the first
few meetings of the committee it Is
thought that all three reports Will DC
rushed on the floor and congress
asked TO vote its choice.