New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-05-18
ROOT CALLS A HALT
TO PRESIDENTS FOES
neclares BaIIinger Committee
Should Not Investigate MIR.
Taft's Conduct.
tGwLER SAYS KERRY LIES
Asserts That Garfield and Pin
chot Are Behind "Corrupters
Of Interior Department
Employees.
IRON The Tribune Bureau-l

washington. May 17.-Indicating his
ar, conviction that a time had come
-ber cant. hypocrisy and pretence
.,,15 he nut aside. and words and ac-
.s,ns should receive their plain mean
az senator Root called a spade a spade
:. the Rallinger-Pinchot hearing to-day
=. made IT clear that he has become
.,rrirced that the critics Of the IN
.s-ia- Department. under the glise OF
-,-,o+ing q movement for conserving
-.+,ral resources. are in fact bending all
.,si- Efforts to maiign the administra-
-, and place President Taft and his
,,or;ne- in 2 position of embarrassment
.sfo~e the nation That this is the pro-
r-srrne Of the so-called conspirators
tas been perfectly well known for some
.,-,s n those who have followed closely
.bs proceedings before the Ballinger-
uinchot committee. but no member OF
she committee has made an open dec
,,-a4ior Of this obvious fact heretofore
Although the committee did not take
so--7s1 action on the statement Of Sena-
~ Root. vote was taken which indi-
100 that all the Republicans on the
committee share the views expressed by
49, %ew York Senator. The committee
-o+ed to Representative Mccall
heinp ahsent). to sustain Mr.. Roots OBJ
scion 10 question asked by L. d.
p-sndeis. counsel for CLAWS. which had
81 us purpose bringing the President
;r+o the controversy Senator Fletcher
,rerocrqtD voted against Mr.. Roots OBJ
sserion. on the ground that the question
.s,ed VAS not in itself material, but an
,ounced that he would he unwilling to
favor further probing in that direction
senator Roots sharp comment was made
afte~ Frederick II. KERRY. the discharged
,ep4deutial clerk Of Secretary Balllnger.
I'D told the committee that he attended a
conference at Clifford Pinchot's home in
--abr77a-v. where he divuIged TO eX-Sec-
,e-s-- Garfield. Mr.. Pinchot and Mr.
Pra rteis the information gained by him
il his confidential relations. with the
Secretary of the Interior He said MI
ra~ee1d told him that it was his duty TO
,erI these facts. For three months after
- had divulEed this information 10 the
,.e7 who we're fighting Mr.. BaiiinEer
-a- rzer,v retained his confidential posi-
son IN the Office of the Secretary Of the
7-.e-ior who. he said. had treated him
Ike father"
NJ Prandeis asked KERRY if he had
-sa5 the unofficial statement given out
a. the White House on Saturday nlght
in replv 10 his charge that the President
did not prepare the findings on the
Claws charges.
MIR. Roots Sharp Objection.
M Root promptly objected. saying the
committee was not investigating the
President. He said that Mr.. Brandels
had heen .endeavoring for some time, in
manner not too ingenious ana
under color and cover TO lead the IN
vestigatiou into q trial Of the Presl-
cent The whole line Of testimony MI
B-an5eie had sought TO offer was an
abuse IF the privileges accorded him by
the committee Mr.. Root said the com
rnitree was not appointed 10 run down
everything that appeared in the news
papers. and ne nodded his assent tie sen
st0r Sutherland's suggestion that il was
tsrts-ar1r- 10 an insult to the President
u investigate newspaper charges re
Hecting on the administration. Con-
ttnUing Mr.. Root said newspaper sus-
ricions against the President had no
Place whatever in an investigation Of
RE affairs Of the Interior Department
The Lawler incident was Of a most COM
mon and ordinary character. he declared.
Re knew Of 2 thousand similar cases
when he was Secretary OF State and Sec
retsry Of War He said il was the duty
Of Secretary Ballinger 10 go 10 the Presl-
cent with his reply when charges We're
made against him. and il was entirely
proper for Mr. LAWYER. as Assistant At
terney General for the Interior Depart
msnt. 70 prepare the memorandum Gov
ssihg the facts in response to the per-
s0asl direction Of the President
representative James suggested that
MAS due TO the President TO have this
Question cleared up. Representative
sishsm said that the lack Of frankness
y he department in dealing with the
lsTsr memorandum had given il an
EMPHASIS beyond its real value, and he
-s'ored going into all the facts relating
e this document for their value as TO
ne eredibility Of Secretary Ballinger and
S~tf Witnesses.
After Mr.. Roots objection had been
sustained Mr.. Brandeis was permitted
. make statement. He took the posi-
Lon that the Presidents findings dis
missing the CLAWS charges had been pre-
pared under sucn circumstances that
l'ey we're partisan and not judicial in
-'ar nature The Withholding Of them
oe substantial bearing 81 the credi-
A'y OF Witnesses for the defence" and
lhis reason II was important 70 go
no lie facts bearing on their preDara-
.oa
LaDler Takes the Stand.
Ihe hearing to-day WAS a succession
exciting incidents which kept the
lilllttee and audience ON edge M
a"ler took the stand late in the after
.'''l ana presented a chronological his
OF the celebrated memorandum
~icn bears his name The witness IS
oi'g those who have been attacked IN
ie II the so-called undertaking
7sszinez and newspapers which are
ing 10 1orce the retirement Of Secre-
'o'g Bailinger- Several times Mr. Law
used bitter WORDS in his reference 10
Ss Nholl he regarded as actuated py
i'ufpose TO destroy his character.