The Detroit times., 1910-05-16

CLEVELAND, Ohio, May 1.-THE
Cleveland Press today prints the fol-
lowing from Its stan correspondent in
Washington;
The whole truth as to the circum
stances surrounding the preparation
OF the clean bill of health which
President Taft gave TO Secretary OF
the Interior Ballinger, in Taft's now
famous letter. bearing date OF Sept.
10. 1909. is now made public for the
first time.
For weeks there has been more
than a suspicion In the minds OF the
attorneys who are prosecuting the
Ballinger inquiry before the congress
sional committee, that Taft had very
few OF the facts before him when he
publicly exonerated Ballinger and
over his signature as president assur-
ed the American people that Il have
examined the whole record most care
fully and have reached a definite
conclusion"
Up to within a few days. however,
even the attorneys for the prosecution
have not guessed at the amazing truth,
which Is that the president OF the
United States not only could not nave
examined the whole record most care
fully" but that the very statement
which Taft Issued to the people or the
United States, generating his secre-
tary OF the interior, was prepared, in
large measure, by Oscar LAWYER, law
officer of the interior department, in
collaboration with Ballinger and the
L -. "a -, - ~ aYtr
ing written their own acquittal, Bal
linger and his fellow officials present
ed the document to the president OF
the United States, and the president
adopted their decision as his own,
even to the limit of using much or
the same language.
Thus did our judicial president per-
form his great duty as Judge between
the ninety million American people
and Secretary OF the Interior Balm
ger in a matter involving the question
as to whether the Morgan
syndicate was to be presented with
public lands in Alaska containing bill
lions of tons of coal, valued at hun
dreds OF millions Of dollars.
Thus was Ballinger, secretary Of the
interior, appointed by Taft, exoner-
ated
Thus was CLAWS, conscientious
ana able subordinate In the interior
department, who, out Of a sense OF
duty, appIised the president Of the
facts, fred from the public service.
Being asked by congress to submit
the Whole record" to the investigat-
ing committee Taft sent over a mass
OF documents and files that have since
been printed in over 900 printed pages
and which contain, In all, over half q
million words.
At liberal estimate, Taft had about
eight hours in which to carefully read
and weigh this mass of record during
the seven days II was In his hands.
II was sent to him on September 6 and
he dated his Ballinger letter Sept. Is.
Document 10 Left Out.
When congress asked for the record
which Taft had considered he includ-
ed among the documents decision
Of over $4,000 words by Attorney
General Wickersham, but, under the
persistent examination OF Attorney
Brandeis. Ballinger has read letter
from Wickersham admitting that the
decision was not written for months
after the Taft letter was signed.
More than that. Not only was this
most important document put, falsely,
into the record, but an equally i'm.
portant one was left out.
The one that was left out was a
letter, written In the first person and
very substantially the Taft letter, but
dictated by Oscar Lawler, law officer
In Ballinger's department.
The story Of this mysterious Lawler
memorandum Is told by Frederick M.
Kerby, stenographer In Ballinger's of
fee.
The following statement was made
by Kerby;
Almost Immediately after Balm.
ger became secretary. Oscar Lawler
was appointed assistant attorney-gen-
eral for the interior department On