The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-05-06

The climax in the Ballinger- Pin
chot investigation was reached yes
terday when the direct examination
.of Secretary Ballinger was conclud-
ed and a grueling cross-examina-
ton by Louis D. Brandeis. counsel
for L. R. Claws, was begun.
George w. Pepper, attorney for
former Forester Pinchot, will take
up the cross-examination when Mr..
Brandeis is through, and it is prob
able that Mr.. Ballinger will be sub
jected to this fire for three or four
days.
In rounding out his direct testi-
.mony, Secretary Ballinger again de
clared his innocence OF any official
irregularity or Improperly. defed
his detractors, renewed his charge
OF conspiracy. asserted the Forest
Service had wasted over 100000
in administering the Menominee
Indian Reservation, said he had re-
NAMED silent under attack at the
direction of President Taft. and
read a letter from the President.
heretofore unpublished. written last
September, in which the President
had expressed his earnest desire to
handle matters so that both Pinch6t
and Ballinger might continue in the
public service, and had anticipated
a Congressional investigation of the
controversy.
REFUSES TO ANSWER.
on REORGANIZATION, Mr.. Brandels
forced Mr.. Bauinger to appeal 10 the
committee TO support his refusal TO an
swer a question as TO reasons why GER
tain Interior Department appointments
were ordered referred 20 Postmaster
General Hitchcock. II brought out an
admission that Mr.. BauinEer had been
in error in his direct testimony in stat
ing that the first knowledge he had had
Of the CLAWS charges was when he re-
ceived the Presidents letter on August
IS. 1893. developed the fact that there
was a disposition among minor officials
Of the Interior Department TO eliminate
from the service all those who would
not accept the Presidents findings in the
matter of the CLAWS charges as final.
and displayed such an accurate knowl-
edge Of Mr.. Ballinger's movements in
the early part of September that Sena-
tor Root inquired whether he CBrandeis)
had had detectives shadowing the Sec
rotary of the Interior
Mr.. Brandeis said he had not had
detective on the trail Of Mr.. BaIinger
and offered 10 explain how he had ac-
quired his information. but Senator Root
waived an explanation.
Not Required TO Reply.
The committee voted TO that Mr.
Ballinger should not be required to an
swer the question as to further specific
reasons for the reference of Interior De-
partment appointments 20 Postmaster
General Hitchcock. Representatives Nc
Call and Madison voted with the three
Democratic members who were present.
In the prolonged squabble over this point
Mr. Brandeis charged in effect that
President Taft had exempted from the
civil service requirements a number Of
appointments as special agents. and that
Secretary Ballinger had then turned this
patronage over TO Mr.. Hitchcock. to be
used as political pie" Mr.. Ballinger
stated explicitly that he had not intended
the appointments to be used.a political
patronage.
There were several tense moments dur
ing the afternoon when it appeared that
serious clashes were imminent. Secre-
tary Ballinger made no effort to conceal
the bitterness of his feeling toward Mr..
Brandeis. CLAWS, Pinchot. Garfield, for
mer Associate Forester Overton w.
Price and the magazines and newspa-
pers that have attacked him. and It was
apparent that the cross-examination is
pregnant with possible sensational de-
velopments. Twice during the day Mr.
Ballinger nominated former Secretary
Garfield for membership in the Ananias