The sun., 1910-01-07
TAFT MAY DISMISS PTNCHOT
BECAUSE OF LETTER HE WROTE
TO SENATOR DOLLEVER. 81
President and some OF HIS Cabsncs cosssl
slider the Case and re WIN Decide
Tc-dsy-Ptnchots Letter Defended
His subOrdlnates-Read In the senate

Tc-day-Ptnch0t's Letter Defended
His subOrdlnates-Readi In the senate
WASHINGTON. Jan. 6.--The so-callod
Ballinger-P Pinchot controversy took
sudden and unexpected turn this evening
when at the end Of day full Of inter-
esting developments in connection with
the troubles in the Administration that
have arisen from the efforts to impugn
the official conduct Of Secretary Of tho
Interior Ballinger a conference was held
at the White House between the Presidsnt
and four members OF his Cabinet for the
purpose of determining whether Chisf
Forester Clifford Pinchot. Mr.. Ballinesr'ss
opponent. should be permitted to rernsfn
in the Government service.
In addition to the President there were
present at the conference Secretary cf
State Knox. Secretary OF the Treasury
Macveagh. Attorney -Gensral wicksr~
sham and Secretary Of Agriculture WElson.
The conference was the direct outcome
OF a letter written by Mr.. Pinchot 70
Senator Dolliver OF Iowa and read in the
Senate to-day during discussion of tn
resolution offered this week by ssnstor
Jones of Washington. at the request q
Mr.. BalInger. providing for a cosnplres
investigation OF the allegations against
Mr.. Ballinger by a joint committees of tho
Senate and the House.
In that letter Mr.. Pinchot conceded thnA
Associate Forester Price and Law 0ficer
Shaw OF the Forestry Bureau, both sub-
,ordinates OF his. had assisted Special
Agent Claws OF the Land ONCE in prs-
pairing his indictment against Secretary
Ballinger. Claws is the man who waM
dismissed from the Government services
by authority OF President Taft on the
ground that he had wrongfully attacked
the oficial conduct OF the Secretary Of
the Interior. "
Mr.. Pinchot said in his letter that PSics
and Shaw had been reprimanded as tHssSS
deserved to be, but he indicated that thi8
should END the matter az far as they were
concerned. and proceeded to defend them
because in his opinion they acted from
a high and unselfish sense Of public duty
Another thing said by Mr.. Pinchot was 10
effect that the dismissal Of Claws had
come from what he believed was nais
taken impression Of the facts, and he spoke
of CLAWS as -the most vigorous defender
Of the peoples interests.'
In the course OF the debate which fol-
lowed the reading OF Mr. Pinchot's letter
by Senator Dolliver Senator Hale took
the ground that Mr.. Pinehot. had .violatoG
Ttrfk -.
subordinates in executive departments
should communicate on official subtccte
directly to Congress or to Senator's and
Representatives without the knowiedae
and consent Of the heads OF their depart-
ments. ~~
1t was not only the phase OF the matter
involved in Mr. Pinchot's apparent vio-
lation Of this order which was discussed at
the White House conference. but tho
question arose also as to whether Mr..
Pinchot in his comments on the iasueo
between himself and Secretary BalIinger
and his defence OF CLAWS had not sought
to prejudice Congress in the conduct OF
the investigation which it had determined
to make.
There was a general agreement befween
the President and his four Cabinet ofi3cers
that Mr.. Pinchot's action had been most
unfortunate. The details OF the dis
cussion at the White House are not dis
closed, but IL is understood that Attorney-
General Wickersham. speaking moro &c
a lawyer than as a member Of the Ad-
ministration. was of the opinion that
Mr.. Pinchot had trespassed so far against
official propriety that the only proper
course to take was to dismiss him per-
emptorily from the Office which ha
holds.
However further discussion OF the
subject developed the view that hasty
action should not be taken. and II 10 Under
stood that at the suggestion Of Secretary
Macvesgh and Secretary Wilson decision
in the matter was deferred until To-
morrow.
II is understood that nothing occurred
at the conference to indicate an opinion
on the part Of any OF those present that
Mr.. Pinchot was actuated in writing ths
letter by any improper motive.
But there was a feeling that MIR. Pinchot
had assumed the attitude Of a privileged
character and seemed to regard himself
as immune from the exercise OF superior
authority IL is expected that tho sub
,iect of Mr.. Pinchot's alleged indiscretion
will be taken up at the regular meeting
Of the Cabinet tomorrow and that az
the conclusion OF the meeting IL will be-
come known what action tho Presidsnt
has decided to take. $50
The letter OF the Chief Forester wae
couched in language that amounted to
challenge. and its reading croated q
profound impression In the Senate. ThG
text Of the letter follows;
JASuAnY S. 1910.
MY DEAR SENATOR: In accordance with
your request. 1 am glad To make a state<
ment concerning certain actions OF Meesfy
Price and Shaw. chiefly In references 70
claims for coal lands located within the
Hugach national forest. BY my dsrectson
they have prepared an oficial report unon
the subject which am transmitting atonoe
to the Secretary OF Agriculture.
This report shows that Messrs. Price and
Shaw made public certain oflcial inforr,a-
ton regarding the so-called Cunnineham
claims for coal lands In Alaska. The eiF0ot
of tho publication was to direct critical
public attention to the actions OF the In