The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-03-27
John J. Vertrees Speaks
| Before the Committee
TENNEssEAN IS cAUsT|c
Mr.. vertrees Criticises the Accusers of
BalI1nger and Takes Few Rnps
at CLAWS, Pinchot and Some
other OficIals

Washington, March 26.-After the
BalIinger -Pinchot Investigating COM
mittee had twice declined to grant the
senting Louis r. CLAWS and others, TO
compel the immediate attendance of
Secretary Ballinger as witness, John
vertrees late today made the opening
statement in Ballinger's behalf and
then began the presentation of testi-
mony.
Mr.. vertrees declared that the tes-
timony of CLAWS and others would be
shown to be grossly false. '"There is
no act of Mr.. Ballingers," asserted
the attorney, ''to which 1t is possible
to ascribe an unworthy motive or i'm
proper purpose, otherwise than through
the suspicion of a perverted mind or
the resentment of discharged public
servant. or the programme of an sun-
scrupulous political intrigue"
Mr.. vertrees' statement sparlxled with
epigrams. In one of these referring to
the acts of officers of the last admin
istration the attorney said there was
the reign of men. March 4, 1909, came
the reign of law"
Although Mr.. Vertrees was particu-
larly referring to Messrs. Garfield and
| tee, after adjournment. were inclined
to construe the statement as crit-
icism aimed at Mr.. Roosevelt and SO
| expressed themselves.
Patriot" CLAWS came in for a large
share of Mr.. vertrees' epigrams. MT.
Claws, suspicious by nature. became
perverted by governmental service. he
said. .Glavis' refusal to speak, he
stated, 'Is to be accepted as vanity
that brooks no obstacle"
| Mr.. Vertrees dwelt at length upon
Clifford Pinchot and "the Pinchot
views" as he characterized the forest
er's work.
Mr.. Pinchot showed up vanity
through his own publicity bureau. the
speaker said, that he had ceased to
be the departments chief.
| HE was exposed" said the speaker,
| and Mr.. Ballinger had committed the
unpardonable sin of defeating the am
bition of self-exaggerated man."
| or Mr.. Ballinger the attorney said:
| "Mr. Ballinger holds that conversa-
tion is not a thing of caprise but rath-
er of law. True conservation has no
stufuier supporter than he."
| Those who have already been born
and now breathe, said the attorney.
have rights as well as those yet to be
born and yet to breathe.
Development ought not to be exiled by
| theorists and doctinaires,'' he contin-
| ued. "and in restoring to the country vast
| areas to the public domain which he
ha ft,1I a
Mr.. Ballinger still believes he was right,
but If he erred he denies that It was error
for which the good faith Of his official ac-
ton should be questioned by those who
| would substitute opinion for law"
mot a site was lost" he said. HE
could have transferred Mr.. CLAWS at
any time and obviously would have done
so had he been mindful of going about
delving into what he considered patriotism
and placing the wrong where 1t belonged y
Mr.. Vertrees was particular In going
into the details minutely OF the case in
practically every phase. He said 1t would
be shown that as regards the Cunningham
claims and In all other matters Mr.. Bal
linger was clean handed"
"All along the line a general denial of
charges, inferences and insinuations," he
said, was entered. The evidence now
to be offered will make all of these things
so clear so undeniable and so plain that
this committee will cast about ~ dis
cover how 1t is that men who knew as
much OF the truth as Pinchot and CLAWS
ana Garfield and Davis and Newell could
have had the daring to present themselves
as destroyers Of law and creators of sus-
picion, much less than they mad knowl-
edge of damaging facts"
The day was replete with interest. The
growing acrimony between the attor-
neys manifested itself In several shap ex-
cho
will not testify until toward the end of