The Detroit times., 1910-02-28
TELLS OF
| BATTLE To SAVE
| RESOURCES
Deposed Forester Describes His Cor
respondence With President in
Which He Said Real Facts Must
Become Public.
Grows Bitter on Stand as He De-
nounces Secretary Ballinger as
Unfaithful Public Official.


WASHINGTON. Feb. 25.-Ginord
\. Pinchot went on the witness stand
before the congressional investigating
committee today
A great crowd OF spectators listen
3 ed breathlessly while the ex-chiel oi
the forestry bureau boldly accused
Secretary OF the Interior Bainnger
not only of overturning the conserva
ton policies OF the last administra-
"a tion but of making false statement
To Presiden. Taft.
Il desire 10 lay before the commit
tee began Pinchot "A consecutive
story or my experience with Mr Bal
linger in relation TO the conservation
y OF natural resources Among several
other matters there are three o.
principal Importance 70 be called I'D
your attention.
The first of these concerns the
policy. devised and inauguatel oE
the last administration OF prolecllAs
against monopolistic conlro4 lAe
water power sites owned by the PEG
pie.
Il shall show you that Secretary
Ballinger entered his Office N.th Tue
/, clear determination 10 nfdkt sHO',
work of that policy. that ne reEvFse0
h IL as far as he was allowed TO dO SO;
IA that he restored the power sizes 10
h entry without the remotest iGea 81 lt-
y Withdrawing them. and that ohA!i.
when / charged him last autumn IN
IN letter TO the president Win ne'h=
m enemy OF the police ol cohStFN".
tion. he capped the climax by giving
~ the president himself an eXpsaha
Hon OF his conduct that was essehtl"'-
ly false.
Says CLAWS ls Faithful.
.The SECOND has Il, so with nay con
necfion as a government oAIcei I'm
The Cunningham coal cases an" w"
The CLAWS charges / shall show you
NOV, the forest service became InvoiV-
cd in these eases and hoW Claws SUD
mitted facts to me believed then
as | believe now that he tod the
truth | am convinced now IS was
when he come 10 me. that CLAWS IS
"a FAITHFUL Ilblic servant and that me
. Facts which he presented prove th"t
n AR Ballinger has been unialthIul 10
his trust as a servant oI me peoP'e'
and as the guardian OF pubic proper
INV of enormous value
III ~ shall show that since learner
IA the facts you have heard from IlaN'S
and others which | am ABOUT 10 LAY
"A before YOU. / have acted steadily IN the
n HIGHT OF them as was my duty, uoth a
public officer and AS citlzen.
~ shall show you that in pursuance o.
that duty. laid before the president,
"a both by word OF mouth and IN a lettei
n OF Nov. a a statement OF my conVlc-
lion that Secretary Ballinger has been
81 n dangerous enemy 10 conservation.
NJ shall show you that this letter vas
NJ submitted by the president 10 Nj. pa
~ linger and as part OF MS reply. ne laia
j before the president statement con
x cerning the Cunningham coal cases
a which statement is shown by und's-
puted documentary evidence to be alb
solutely false in three essential par
N ticulars. II will then appear that Mr.
Ballinger wilfully deceived the presi-
b dent and was disloyal 10 him
CLAWS Case only Single Chapter
-The third principal matter is con
cerned with the attitude or this gov
n ernmont IN law and administrator
practice toward the conservation ~
the natural resources belonging 10 the
people ! desire 10 show that the
story OF CLAWS courageous and sur
OF the people. which ended II his dis
missal without a hearing. is but %
single chapter in the history ~ The
public lands.
when this story has been told. and
q the witnesses whom ! shall ask yoI
10 call have been heard, you win real
lie that the interests OF the people
are not safe in Mr. Balliugers hands
n and that the country viii demand oi
this committee a verdict In harmony
with the general conviction that the
secretary OF the interior has been nn
faithful both 90 The public whose
property nc has endangered and 30
the president. whom hc ma deceived
The letter OF NOV 90 Presldo-
Taft referred "a hy pinrhot reviews
|ihc entire conversation IN Que-tI14.
b Finohot said IN the letter ne haa la
,ised CLAWS 90 lay he &laskau c1a
lands matter before the president DO
Was his duty 90 d0 so because there.
a, VAS involved a question u public pII.
hey that could be randiel onlr h1 tue
IA president
II when | saw sou do Selt Lake Oit,
IN SEPTEMBER F,nthot said iu his !e-
ter. little mention was made OF tro
CLAWS matter Dut we discussed thr
Fl IN4dAlbllH 81 wa .ititfI lfff afIIft
nent To conservation at some lengie.
EXPRESSED the belief that YOU had
heen mishformod 49, go certain ~
these relations ad nay fear that lalas
on. when the present intense public
attention had ST. sided unVise teudeu.
N sies mighDrcappeaI aHd the public
Interest mlghi suffer said also that
willie should not resign. my course
otherwise was still undetermined an
I might nnG il necessary TO make pup.
ilc my opinion rs 70 these relations.
even IL * Should involve my uffc.a!
position
4 The above paragraph IS especially
M interesting. IN ei2N OF the fact>thAt
4 later Pinchot sert his now famous le.
<ler 10 Senator DOlhyer i'm which ne
attacked Secretary Balhnger. and
q which pracipitated his dismissal al
IN tic hands OF President Taft
Meyer Urges Bigger Navy
WASHINGTON, Feb. 2G.-Secre-
farv Never OF the navy. spent two