Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-02-27
D1sLoYAITY AND FAIsEHOoD
Secretary Accused of Making Three
Statements Absolutely Untrue.
PLEADS FOR CHANGES IN LAW
Would Have statute Amended TO
Make Impossible Sacrifice of
Public welfare a. Charged
in Past.

WASHINGTON. Fen. 26-with clifford /
Pinchot on the witness stand, the Bal J
llngerPlnchot inquiry entered It's second
phase today. The dismissed chief forester,
before being sworn. dramatically declared
that when his story had been told the coun-
try would demand n verdict ''in harmony
dyth the general conviction that the sec
re'ary of the interior has been unfaithful
both to the public whose property he has
endangered. and to the president, who he
has deceived"
l.. r. CLAWS the Cunningham coal claims
and Attorney Brandels all stood aside TO
make room for Mr. Pinchot for Attorney
George Wharton Paper, his personal
counsel, and his story OF Secretary Bal
lipger's dealings with the water power
sites Of the public domain.
Mr.. Pinchot accused Secretary Balllnger
Of having made an explanation Of his con-
duct to the president that was essen
TALLY false" He charged him with being
a dangerous enemy to conservation" He
charged him with having made a state
ment shown by undisputed documentary
evidence to he absolutely false in three es-
sential particulars"
He charged him with having willfully
deceived the president and OF being dis
loyal to the president
DRy RepIete with Sensations.
Mo- Plnchots first hours on the witness
stand were as rtElete with sensations as
had been promised and the crowd hung
intently on every word that fell from his
lips. trifle nervous at first Mr. Pinchot
soon became accustomed to his surround
ings and maintained a confident poise
thereafter.
His recital had not progressed very far
however, when there came an objection
from Mr. Ballnger's attorney as to the
witness repeating conversations with Pres
ident Taft. 1t was contended that the re-
IatIon of these conversations would put the
president In an attitude where he would
either have 10 remain silent or else appear
before the committee as witness, which
Il was declared would be undesirable The
question was argued for some time and
during the course Of his statement of the
matter the attorney for Mr.. Pinchot ad-
unfftsd that President Taft, in letter
WRITTEN subsequent to the conversation,
had declared that his recollection of what
transpired at the intNview differed in
some particulars from that of Mr.. Pinchot.
The matter was put over for consideration
by the committee and 1t is expected that
a decision viii be announced when the
next session is held Tuesday morning.
Believes In CLAWS.
Mr.. Pinchot followed up the vigorous at
tack made upon Secretary Ballnger in his
opening statement by announcing that he
fully believed in Special Agent, CLAWS and
was convinced that all CLAWS had said
was true. He characterized CLAWS as
faithful public servant" and declared that
the facts which he presented proved that
Mr.. Balllnger had been unfaithful to his
trust as the guardian of public property
OF enormous value.
The conversation on movement began
under the administration OF President
Roosevelt was progressing splendidly up to
the time that President Taft and Secretary
Ballinger came into office, declared Mr..
Pinchot He declared that within a month
thereafter Secretary Ballinger had practi-
eally broken the backbone of the central
kidea of the conservation movement by re-
ttoring previously withdrawn waterpower
sites to the public domain and laying them
open to private appropriation and monopol-
istic control
Orders Land Restored.
Mr.. Pinchot charged that when the restor-
ations were made Mr.. Balllnger gave no
hint that he would re-withdraw he power
sites, and that, as matter OF fact, he did
nk, re-withdraw any OF them until after
MT Plnchot had gone to the president and
made vigorous protest.
The restoratlons by Mr., Ballinger were
made without any investigation Of the CUB
ject whatever, said Mr.. Pinchot, and he
charged the secretary with having d h'r-
ately ordered the officers of the reclama-
tion service, against their will, 10 recon
mend that some OF the restoratlons should
be made. Mr Pinchot declared that Di-
rector Newell OF the reclamation service
would be called as one OF his witnesses to
prove his charges sgalnst SecretIry Bal
linger. The former secretary Of the in
terior, James r. Garfield. It was announced
would be one of Mr.. Pinehots hackers.
President Is Involved.
One Of the most dramatic Incidents OF The
day was left for the last half hour " tie
session, when Mr.. Pinchot declared tnat
there was no such decision by ;he co1ip-
troller OF the treasury as had been tred
by President Taft In his letter OF Sep.om-
Der Is. 1909. 10 Secretary Balling4r, dis
missing the Claws charges and auth5rlz-
ing the removal OF CLAWS from he s-.v.ce
OF the United States.
The president had eontended tina. AZ
Baninger had acted under a decision of
the comptroller, which permitted Of no dp-
ppeal. when he had abrogated a cooper
ative agreement with the Agricultural de-
partment whereby the forest service was
given control OF the forest reserves on Ir-
dian lands.
Mr. Pinchot admitted that there was an
opinion by the comptroller which for
hade the detail Of a clerk from the forest
service 10 the Indian officer, but ne con-
tended that Il had nothing TO do with the
ANork OF the forest service in the Held
SIr. Pinohots implication that President
Taft had either been misled or utterly
mistaken brought out a rapid fire OF
questions from Senators Root, Sutherland
and cther members of the committee.
They read into the record the various de-
oisions Of the comptroller which they
(continusa on second PaKel