The San Francisco call., 1910-03-02

FIERCE CLASH WITH SECRETARY WILSON

said the impression had gone fort
that Shaw had assisted CLAWS in pre-
pairing an article published in week.
paper.
This was not true, the witness d'
clared, for such an article could M
have, been in contemplation whe
Shaw was with CLAWS.
LETTER FROM PRESIDENT
The Presidents letter to Pincho
by the latter today, follow:
BEVERLY, Mass, Sept, 10, 1903.
My Dear Clifford: l enclose here
with letter which / am about 10
send to Secretary Ballinger for
such use as he sees fit, in refer
ence TO the charges made by Gla-
Wis against Secretary Ballinger,
Pierce, bennett and SchWartz.
have reached this conclusion only
after full consideration of CLAWS
statement and their answers to it;
but l never reached a conclusion
based on stronger conNctlon than
this one is.
CLAWS seems to be man who
has acquired but one idea and who
has allowed his suspicious to grow
to such a point as to be altogether
diSingenuouS in the statement OF
tain his attack upon his superiors.
/ have made no reference TO you
in this letter, which VIII probably
be made public, because | 90 not
wish TO bring you into the contro-
Versy at all. | have advised Mr.
Ballinger and his subordinates that
| wish your name left out OF the
matter in their answers and REFER
ences. should it become necessary,
as is not unlikely, TO send the whole
record To congress.
am aware from the tone OF your
letter and from your conversation
with me that you did not give to
. Mr.. Rallinger the confidence and
trust which | do, and in this respect
/ think you do Mr.. Ballinger mus
tice l think you have allowed
your enthusiasm in the. cause OF
conservation and your lmpAuence
at the legal obstacles and diff1cul-
ties TO mislead yoN in this regard,
and that CLAWS has himself led you
to regard as suspicious numoer OF
things, which, when Weighed In lne
light Of all the circumstances now
known. are lacking in evidential
force TO sustain such serious
charge as that of bad faith against
officials who have heretofore shown
themselves to be entirely trust
write this to urge upon you
that YOU do not take CLAWS
cause yours. You had no access to
the records which CLAWS had access
to and you did not know the ex-
PLANTATION for some of the things
that he pointed out as suspicious,
which he ought to have made
known to you and TO me.
can not for minute permit
the interior department or IN the
publii. service 1t would be tatal
to proper discipline.
On the other hand, wish you
to know that have the utmost
confidence in your CONSCIENTIOUS de-
sire to serve the government and
the public, in the intensity or your
purpose 70 achieve success In the
matter of conservation of natural
resources and in the immense
value of what you have done and
,ropose 10 do w:~ reference to
forestry and kindred methods of
3 conserya ton, and that | am thor
oughly in sympathy With all OIL
these policies and propose TO 90
everything that ] can to MAINTAIN
them, insisting only that the ac-
ton. for which / became respon-
sible. or for which my administra-
ton becomes responsible shall be
within the law.
/ write this letter in order to pre-
vent hasty action on your part in
taking up Claws cause or in OBJ :.
jecting to my sus tanning Ballinger
and his subordinates within the m
terior department as a reason for
your withdrawing from the pubic
service.
should consider it one of the
greatest losses that my administra-
tion could sustain if you were to
leave it, and / sincerely hope you
will not think my action in writing
the inclosed letter TO Secretary Bal
Iinger is reason for your taking a
step of this character.
When a man has been unjustly
has been in the manner pointed out
in the letter, a copy of which l send
you. ii is my duty as his chief, with
the knowledge ! have of his official
Integrity and his lack of culpabil-
ity, TO declare it to the public and
to do him justice, however great
Inconvenience may arise in other
respects.
by the public discussion carried on,
in the press, from which it is in
ferred that your bureau is arrayed
against the interior department,
and that material is being fur
nished for both sides from Official
tressed By McHaFg's reported in
terviews, though I believe he now
repudiates any criticism or stirring
remarks concerning President
Roosevelt He was an efficient Of
icer, but he talked too much and
wildly, and his withdrawal relieved
me.
/. must bring public discussion
between departments and bureaus
to an end. 1t is demoralizing and
subversive of governmental dis
cipline and efficiency. / want you
to help me in this. + can enforce
team work if I can keep public
servants out of newspaper dis
cussion,
Very sincerely yours,
WILLIAM H. TAFT.
Pinchet also read his reply to tn,
PRESIDENT, dated November 4, 1909. in
which he renewed his criticism of Sec.