The sun., 1910-01-09
PINCHOT ENJOYS MARTYRDOM
ACTS AS IF HE HAD GOT "a ST
WHAT HE WANTED.
Forest Service Pretty sure LO Heoame
an AntI-Taft OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Talk
OG q Roosevelt Movement PresIdeWl
COnndent the Country WIN Back Hias.

OS a Roosevelt Movement PresIdepI
COni'dent the Country WIN Back nlm.
WASHINGTON Jan. s.-Gifford Ptnohot's
entire attitude appears to be one OF sat
isfaction over his removal from the Office
Of Forester OF the Agricultural Depart
ment--nOt that Mr.. Pinchot has said A.
much, but his manner and bearing sug-
gests that he is full OF enjoyment instead
Of humiliation. The way In which Mr.,
Pinchot has taken his dismissal has
tended TO confirm the opinion that he was
seeking to goad President Taft into
action which would put Mr.. Pinohot be-
fore the country in the light Of a martyr.
and to that extent, at least, injure the
cause OF Secretary Ballinger. |
But il Mr.. Pinohot is satiafied, 90 II
President Taft. His dismissal OF the
Forester was done reluctantly, although
now that it has come about the President
and his advisers feel that il was the only
proper and self-respecting course 20 take.
In their opinion it win cause Mr.. Pinchot
to become the chief prosecutor OF the
charges against Secretary Ballinger be-
fore the joint Congress oommittes ot
inquiry.
The Presidents expression OF this
opinion was coupled with the reua&rk
that he was very glad that Mr.. Pinchot
would appear before the committees IN
that capacity. because IL there IN any
thing TO be uncovered in connection WIN
Mr.. BaIlinger's off1cial conduct Mr..
Pinohot would get TO the bottom Of r.
The chief hope Of the Administration u
that the nvestigators will leave no stone
unturned in digging into the Glavis
charges and all other charges. allegations
and insinuations which affected the astir
tude OF the Administration toward the
conservation movement.
One thing stands out prominently In
relation to Mr.. Pinohot's dismissal and
that is that the forest service, with its
great number Of supervisors, rangers,
guards and other employees. will become
unit Of opposition to President Taft
How the forest service feels over the r.
moval of Mr.. Pinchot was indicated to-day
by the reception which the dismissed fpr-
ester received when he said an oficiai
farewell to his subordinates. He wsg
cheered wildly. and everything said and
done showed that ha had the full sym
pathy and support of those with whom
ne had been associated in an officia1 way
The political aspect OF united opposition
to the Administration Of President Taft
on ths part OF the forest service is too
apparent to be ignored.
i According to people who talked With
him to-day. President Taft IL ssrenely
1 a 49, .u1I In. 10.
approve the course he has taken in dis-
missing Mr.. Pinchot from office. But it
is contended that the decision 70 dismiss
the head of the forest service was taken
by the President and his Cabinet for rea-
sons entirely apart from any political
considerations affecting Mr.. Taft. What.
the country would think. it is asserted. cid
not enter into the matter at all.
The President is represented as believing
that while Mr.. Pinchot may attain some
temporary advantage in public opinion.
the sentiment OF the country ultimately
will crystalline into belief that. irr~-
spective of the merits OF the so-cailed
Ballinger- -Pinchot controversy, Mr. Pin
chot had made his retention in ONCE itn-
possible and no self-respecting President
could have tolerated longer his independ-
ence Of superior authority.
Such newspaper comment in regard
to Mr.. Pinchots removal as the President
and his advisers have seen has been ex-
ceedin gly salts factory to them. They
believe, however. that for n short time
perhaps for only a week or 80. there will
be criticism of Mr.. Taft from certain
parts OF the West. where a feeling against
/ Secretary of the Interior Ballinger has
been fomented by magazines and news
papers which participated in the cam
paiRn inspired by Price and Shaw. the
other officials OF the forest serVics who
were removed hast night.
The expectation In Administration
circles is that at the outset OF tbs Con-
gress investigation Mr.. Pinchot and
Mr.. CLAWS may obtain some advantages
from the standpoint ot popular opinion.
but that as the investigation progresses
the situation will be presented In such
a clear light that the course OF Presi-
dent Taft and Attorney General Wicker
sham in giving Mr.. Ballinger a clean bin
OF health will be sustained from one cnd
Of the country to the other
Administration officials realize that
one of the difficulties of the situation
IL that the charges against Mr.. Ballinger
are involved in so many technicalities
and embrace such uninteresting matters
as the construction and application
Of land laws that the people have been
unable through lack Of time or lack OF
inclination to study the case thoroughly.
In these circumstances thay are hopeful
that the daily exposition OF the questions
involved through newspaper reports
Of the testimony to be given before tbs
congress committee Of inquiry will
enable the public to get better insight
into the Ballinger-Pi PiHchot controversy
and the reasons which actuated the Press
ident in acquitting Mr.. Ballinger II any
wrongful conduct or intent.
Mr. Pinchot got TO his Office In tbs
Forest service building early this morning
and set about cleaning up his desk pre-
paratory 20 leaving. Associate Foresler
! Price and Assistant Law Officer shaw
the other officials OF the forest scrvirs,