The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-12-07
Majority Of the Investigating
Committee Show Secretary
in Light Of a Human with
a Pair Of Wings.
REPORT NOT TO BE
ACCEPTED BY HOUSE
But Ii Will Probably Pull
Through the Senate by q
Very Close VoteRevicw
Of Famous Case.
fAmerican News Servicel

tAmcrican News servicsY
Washington. Dec. THAT Richard
A. Ballinger falls little short OF being
an angel in human form who crept
into the interior department through
some divine manifestation rather
than through the manipulations Of
Frank Hitchcock and George w. Per-
kins Of the J. Ps Morgan company. II
the substance of the findings Of tho
majority joint committee Of congress
which investigated the BAllingor<p PIN
chot controversy. Secretary BAlling.
er is declared to be absolutely blame
less. He is not voted even An 'sindis-
Greet" oficial. The committee winds
up by adopting and approving Of Bal--
fingers recommendation In his annual
report that the Cunningham claims ~
referred to competent court for nnai
recommendation. The report was sub
mitted to congress today. Il will 30
followed by the report Of the minority.
Senators Purcell and Fletcher. and
Representatives Graham and James,
all Democrats. and Representative
Madison an insurgent Republican.
Houss 10 70 0ails.
The house will probably adopt the
minority report condemning Ballinger
as acting improperly, the Democrats
and insurgents voting for It. The sem
ate Is likely to adopt the majority 70
port by narrow margin. The debate
will be acrimonious and will revive
the controversy In all its features. The
affair promises to be the most import
ant subject the present session OfAcon-
gress will dispose OF.
The report makes the following spc-
cific findings.
First. Charges and insinuatiors
against Baliinger In regard to the
Cunningham or other claims In Alaska
not justly censurable.
Second That he was under the cir
cumstances fully justified in revokinS
the Indian cooperative agreement
Third Restoration Of water power
sites were made In good faith and not
in cnmity to the policy Of conserva-
ton.
| Fourth. In view Of the opinion Of
the attorney general. Balinger was
justified In abandoning the use Of the
so-called water users cooperative plan
1 in connection with tho reclamation Ol
arid lands
Fifth. The administration Of 70
clamation laws presented features
Il Ss,c lx,e ezx.AS - este @~lA
| Testimony 81 GtAvis.
| From the beginning OF the Ballinger.
Pinchot controversy one Of the main
points at issue was whether or mol
the Guggenheims were interested II
the Alaska coal land cases. Claws In
his testimony submitted evidence "a
substantiate this allegation, but II had
been vigorously denied BY the defense
Imagine the surprise when Steele and
Birch appeared voluntarily before the
committee on territories and stated
that the Neutrality-suspicious. syndi
cate had options on the Cunningham
claims This testimony was later 70
peated before the investigating com
mittee.
The defense opened on March 3e
but Secretary Ballinger did not takl
the stand until April 20. His tesi
mony was marked by considerable
wrangling between himself and thu
prosecuting attorney. He spoci6caI
~ denied personal knowledge with 70
spect to the charges relating to thu
Cunningham coal claims made b
Claws and others.
4 The biggest sensation Of the hear
ling was reserved for its Anal dayl
when Frederick M. Kirby, conndentia
stenographer in Secretary BaIlingerl
Ionice issued ! signed statement n
which he declared that Mr. BalIineea
had not told the committee the whoIl
truth about the so-called "LAwlel
memorandum" on which Preeiden
Taft was alleged TO have based Hi
letter exonerating Mr.. BalIinger of III
toriginal Claws charges. In the hear
ing before the investigating commit
Itee. Mr.. Brandeis. counsel for Glavis
made request for Al papers which
i president Taft had before him whe1
he wrote his letter 0f exoneration, bu
1T was denied him ~ : sote Of th.
committee- When II became apparen
that the Lawler memorandum coul<
not be gotten before the committe,
through the usual channels. Mr. KiFb,
Icame forward with his statement HI
charged that Mr.. LAw1er. who was -
eistant attorney general In the fnteF1ol
department had practically wrftfel
the letter given out BY President Taf
tex0nerating Mr.. Ballinger. b
j a Sensational Charss-
Kirby charged further that tho LAW
Ter memorandum waS reviewed n
Mr. Ballinger and others II - -
lpartment before It Was taken 70 Des
lerly, MASS, the presidents aunnneI
! Continued o. Page Ten-)