Virginia gazette. [volume] (Williamsburg, Va.) 1893-192?, 1910-01-13
BALLInGER Is
UPHELD BY TAFT
CLAWS Played With Severity Seldom
Seen In Public DOcumens-Gsss
for PipchOI

secretary OF the AAAtAAoN DAAAAheNA
was transmitted 10 Congress by Prssi-
dent Taft Thursday. The report is a
complete exoneratiOn OF Mr.. wicker
sham fellow Cabinet member as 10
the charges. from which the Bah
unger-Pinchot row started. but II
chiefly remarkable for its treatment
81 CLAWS. VINO IS mayed witR "A severity
seldom eQualleu tn public documents
The report also aims "A shaft az chief
Forester finChOt. friend and appOtntee
\ OF Theodore Roosevelt. whose inter-
IVcntion in the anair is declared 10 have
/ been unneC eEsarg-
Claws charged that Secretary Bal
/ linger aided the Government Toes IN
/ the nght over the Cunning ham Alas
i kan coal claims, which are generally
/ believed 20 be desired by the GuEEcn-
/ helm Interests. II has been estimated
/ that Sl.5OO.O00.OOO is involved by the
precedent this case will establish and
the case Itself
In concluding his report. which Ia
nearly $4,000 words Ia length. the Al
torney General, after charging CLAWS
with conduct tautamOunt 70 the sup
preston OF documents needed in the
investigation. delivers this eNcoriauOns
CLAWS actions appear 20 have been
founded upon wholly eNa EEerRted
| sense OF hs own Importance and
desire for personal advance slent rath-
I cr than ou amy genuine desire 70 pro
teCt the interests Of the Government
and this species OF meEalom ania has
; uually lea him 20 submit 20 you
charges of improper motives and con
luuct against his official superforA
which. an my opinion. are 80 unJust
anu so unfounucd As 20 merit hta I'M
mediate separation from thc service"
The CLAWS charges were the mesh
! sensational IN the shower Of accusa-
/ tons that has marked The BallinCer-
tinShot controversy CLAWS vas Tor
imcrly inspector of the general land
. lofnce and chief of the Geld division
y lie had ia charge the investi Eatioh
Iof the Cunningham aneir. he Wa
removed sometime ago By Secretary
Balungcr.
What CLAWS Charged
i- CLAWS charged. officially and IN
n formal statements and wriunEu. that
certain influences were ot werk an an
attempt 20 rush the hearing or the
II cunningham claims case before tho
/, Government was ready TO adequately
defend its side.
U.s. CLAWS accused. besides SECRETARY
d Ballinger, Commissi oner Of the and
r Otnce Denuet. the Chief or Uield Di-
r. vision Schwartz. both Of whom are
cleared by WicSershaEn. VITA the sec
Rotary.
ON August 10Th last CLAWS took
summary OF his charges to Chief F'or-
ID ester PiuchoL who advises hins &c lay
them before President TAT Eccre-
49, tary Bahlugsr himself requested the
~ investigation by the Attorney OuapraL
y whose results are embodied o. This
ld report
~ -44. Wickershsm completely GEARS
~ Secretary Balunger-
t lie examined all the documents con
~ nected with the Affairs. Hi ooncln-
al sion; The iusinuatiORs e. Charges
ot improper conduct are. ia my opln-
ton, entirely disproyed- So lar fr0m
taking any action 90 favor the Cum
bingham claimants. the record clearly
shows that Secretary BalunEcr was
-CrupllDusly careful not in any respect
TO act upon these claims. FOR the rea-
n SON that durlns the summer OF 1905
III while DEE WAS ln NO manner Conn ccteC
with the Government. he had beer
consulted by some OF the claimant
49,. Win respect 90 tae issuance OF patenu
'0' and had called upon Secretary Garnels
Iur t.e purpose ol aScertal ming thc az
utude of his department thereon
- Neither his action nor any 90 hls writ
'-' ten or spoken expressions were "a
.he vorable 90 these claimants"
.ba The utmost he did was 10 lnstruc
the land Office 60 promptly inVestisat
re- and disproye OF all pending cases
a Suggestion Il UnSouud
THE suggestion that it was unlawfJ
lcA for MT. Baunger to have any profef
hat slonal relation with these claimant
ent because OF previous incumbency CT IN
.av- / office OF Commissioner Of the Ian
bo+ once. rs. Ia nay opinion. unsound"
4'"1 OF the specific Cunningham charge
Gus the report saws. The GOVernme T
IN has had an abundance OF time 10 invei
Ugate the validity OF these entries tt
-ess attention OF the land Office was sp'
- 1 gust. 1907. They were Investigate
- ! by Agents Love and Jones. They wei
isu put in Mr.. Claws hands. tOgeth'
kept with the investigation OF all 9TH
ION Alaskan coal land locations and Ell
)ply tries. in January. 1908. All the e
her sential facts seem TO have been "a
"a % certained by him In the spring
- 1905. lie was furnished By the lar
Office with all the assistance ne r
ioou Quircd All efforts 10 induce hm
task bring his investigation 20 conc usiS
thai were only met with requests TO- fu
5 OF Their assistance. coupled with criticis
,ibIe OF his superior Ofilcers."
-. When more haste was demarded
- says the report, CLAWS advanced sor
q, more or less specious reasons w
OF ne was not reaOy TO formulate ebJe
Bel tons"
na- The report points out ways o. Viii
and the claims could have breH passed II
-. | properly. Claws claim nat he pI
omar vented the Government FROM betsg
ency frauded s. branded as "dispr OVID"
also The Intervention OF the Fer $ ~ =
- reau. procured BY CLAWS. 3 shogn
BEL the recora 20 have been endreg u
sible necessary 90 the proteett0n - the On
eteiy ed States"
49, That GIaviS report ans suams
AAoA- abOgnd In contradictions ana nlAs4tai
nents Sc another or the dnGlnEh
They emit" aSys the rePerts 70
mat degree that amounts to supPre2sica ]
- fera, teieErams ahd ether ooc4rntata
$50 CLAWS animus~ IS prtntea On y
q al sonaI letter from CLAWS IL Sch~sr
once of commissioner DeuRett I
votlr letter says. 1T - @y 0ptEtoh q
neither bennett or Is. via last isn
Mr.. WiokorshaFa declares tils a. =,
vious suggestion" that ne. CLAWS 60