Arizona republican., 1910-03-02
REMEMBER II DIFFERENTLY
Secretary of Agriculture Denied He Gave Pinchot Permission to Blanket" President s Intended Mes sage on Conservation.

Washington. March 1-The expected clash between Pin-hot and Secretary uf Agriculture Wilson over the dis pUted question whether the Secretary had given the former forester permis sion to write to Senator Deliver the letter which resulted in PinchOt's dis missal. came today in the Balllnger- Pinchot investigating committee. Pin chot declared that he had discussed tine matter al length with Secretary Wilson. and he understood that his superior officer had given him per mission to wri1c to MT. Deliver.
 Mir. Wilson immediately took the stand and asserted that while he had given PinchOt permission 10 write to MT. Deliver concerning departmental affairs" he never did and never would have given him permission to write a letter criticising the president.
 Under cross examination, almost wholly by the democratic members of the committee. NIT. Wilson was uncer- tain just what had passed between him and the former forester. and he became somewhat mixed as to just what letters the committeeman re- ferred to in their rapid fire questions.
 The secretary repeatedly said he never saw or heard of the letter Pin chot wrote until it was read in the senate. Pinchot declared he and MT. Wilson went SD far as to discuss the executive order issued by President Taft forbidding subordinate in the various departments to give informa- ton to congress. and added that the secretary said: You and I will have rio trouble about that order"
 Admitting that his memory failed him on certain points. Mir. Wilson al ways came back with the statement that never. under any circumstances. would he have given Pinchot permis- sion to write the letter that caused his retirement The secretary said he urged Pinchot not to carry out his pur- pose to blanket" the message of President Taft exonerating Ballinger by sending the letter to Deliver.
 But" persisted counsel for Pin chot. If Pinchot was only to be per mitted to write about departmental matters. how could you have thought the letter would blanket the presi- dents message"
 "I don't know: that was Pinchot's lusd- Tepllen MT. WllSOH
 Pinchot denied that he had been em- bittered by his dismissal. which he considered unjustified. He denied all so that there was d specific movement to discrcdit Ballinger. He added. how ever. that he, former Secretary Gar field. Glavis and others were concerned in a movement for the conservation of the natural resources and that they regarded Ballinger as one of its great est enemies.
 Pinchot testified that Glavis first laid the facts of the Cunningham case before him last summer. He immediately sent Glavis with letter of introduction to President Taft. While Pinchot was on the Coast of California with Senator Flint he re- ceived letter from MT. Taft cX- pressing his renewed confidence in him, but urging him not to take up Glavis' cause He said that Glavis had let one idea run away with his judgment" President Taft expressed sorrow that Pinchot did not share his confidence in Ballinger. Pinchot, re- plying. denounced BaIlinger.
 X surprising developuIent was Pin cbot's statement that the alleged false statements to President Taft were not made by Ballinger himself. but by former law partner of Ballin- ger in a letter to Dr. Lyman Ab- bolt. This letter Ballinger forwarded to Mir Taft Pinchot admitted that Ballinger had personally made no untrue statement to tho president GOV ering the same ground
 A letter. written by Garfield to President Taft in November. sharply criticizing Ballingcr. was read to the committee.