New-York tribune., 1910-01-08
Mr.. TAFT REMOVES
CLIFFORD PINCHOT
LETTER TO DOLLIVER
THE CAUSE.
President Says He Cannot
OUerIook 4frout to Dig
nifty of HIS Office.
rFrom Ths Trihun. Rursan-1

rFrom The Tribune BureauI
Washington, Jan. The President
this evening directed the Secretary CT
Agriculture TO remove from Office clifford
Pinchot. Forester of the Agricultural De-
partment. and Secretary Wilson did this
in brief letter advising Mr.. Pinchot OF
his removal
President Taft also addressed to Mr..
Pinchot a comprehensive but wholly dis
passionate letter reviewing the For
cster's course. emphasizing the obvious
purpose of the letter to Senator Dolliver
to offset in the public mind the declara-
tion of the President and the opinion OF
the Attorney General in the CLAWS case
and Mr.. Pinchots attempt to excuse
the conduct OF Messrs. Price and Shaw IN
advance of the Judgment OF the Exscu-
tive
Mr.. Taft expressed his regret that he
was unable to treat Mr.. Pinchot's course
as only personal reflection. and so TO
ignore it, and declared that his duty to
maintain the dignity of the office OF
Chief Executive made that impossible
In conclusion he said:
by your own conduct you have de-
subordinate Of the government. and IL
therefore now becomes my duty to direct
the Secretary of Agriculture to remove
you from your Office as Forester"
PINCHOTS ASSISTANTS GO. TOO.
Overton W. Price. assistant forester,
and Alexander c. Shaw. assistant law
officer in the Forestry Bureau. followed .
Of fha
vice.
Mr. Taft undoubtedly realizes fully
what the dismissal of Mr.. Pinchot means
in a political way. He has been con-
vinced for some time that the insur-
gents and other critics of his admins
tration had enlisted the services of MIR.
Pinchot and practically were defying
him to separate Pinchot from his office.
The latter's letter of yesterday, few here
doubt. was written with the direct pur-
pose Of putting It squarely up to the
President"
The President sought to avoid the
threatened war as long as he could but
declared to-day that patience had ceased
TO be virtue He picked UP the gage
of battle thrown down by Mr.. Pinchot
by the hand of Mr.. Dolliver in the Sen
ate, and. with the administration sup
porters. is ready for the fray which is
thought certain to ensue.
Political observers in washington de-
clare that the situation created by to-
days developments is the most tense OF
many years. What the outcome will be
no one is willing to prophesy.
INSURGENTS REJOICING.
In the House of Representatives to-
day Speaker Cannon lost his first fight
to the insurgents. who. combining with
the Democrats, caused to be adopted an
amendment TO the Ballinger-Pinchot in
! quiry resolution so as to take from the
Speaker the power to appoint the House
members of the joint special COMMITTEES
of investigation The margin of victory
was narrow one of three votes but thu
| insurgents and Democrats alike are
jubilant tonight. The dismissal OF Mr.
| Pinchot has lent fuel to the flame OF
their celebration and they are venturing
all manner Of predictions as to what is
to happen in the future.
Three Republicans not classed as in
surgents. but who profess their friend
ship for Pinchot. voted with the insur-
gents and Democrats for the amend
ment which calls for the selection OF the
House investigators by election from the
floor
These two incidents at the Capitol and
the White House kept Washington in q
political ferment all day
CABINET MEETS TWICE.
The Cabinet was in special session
practically the entire afternoon. follow
ing the regular session of the morning.
Secretary Ballinger. cognizant of the ac-
ton that was about TO be taken. re-
manned away from the afternoon session.
II was at the end Of this special session
tonight that the President gave out ths
letter he had written to Mr.. Pinchot in
forming him that his usefulness as a
public servant under the present admin
istration was at an end.
WILSON ACCUSES PTNCHoT.
Secretary Wilson. Mr.. Pinchot's i'm
mediate superior. it appears was one OF
the forester's chief accusers. He told
President Taft that he had advised Mr..
Pinchot not TO send the letter to Senator
Dolliver; that Pinchot had told him hs
had such letter in mind. and could in
duce Senator Dolliver' to read IL on the
very day President Taft's special mes
sage transmitting the Attorney Generals
exoneration of Secretary Ballinger was
10 be presented TO the Senate.
It was this story of Mr.. Pinchot's sp-
parently calculated INSTRUMENTATION that
aroused the President to keenest resent
ment.
Mr.. Taft accuses Mr.. Pinchct of hav-
ing taken his stand against Secretary
BaIlinger wholly on the evidence sd-
duced by L. r CLAWS and without re-
gard for the evidence on the other side
ON file in the Interior Department. The
letter directing Secretary Wilson 10 dis
miss the forester forthwith was care
fully framed at the afternoon session OF
the Cabinet and was revised several
times before being made public.
MIR. PINCHoT UNRUFFLED
Mr.. Pinchot received the letter Of thu
President and Secretary Wilson's per-
emptory note of dismissal tonight. but
nothing about his demeanor indicated
that he was surprised or distressed by
either To an acCOupanioent OF sounds.