The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-03-08
BALLINGER HAS
HAD HARD LUCK
Pitfalls and Shares Arranged By
His Lawyers Don't Seem To Work
al Conservation Inquiry.
BY w. S COUCH.

] WASHlNGl On. AalSA a. " ~" 80
case against SECRETARY Ballinger pFac-
tically in. The su!hing feature OF the
inouiry is the dismal failure OF the
defense 90 shake d..
The most pitiable exhibition was
the attempt 10 use Secretary WILSON
fo impeach The testimony OF Pinehot
/ The AIRED cabinet officer under cross
examination was pathetic.
Wilson whN lodged every controVer
So from pure tood TO conservation
VAS forced into this mess lie came
GO the inquiry direct from proiohsel
cabinet mcetins, evidently Wen eoach'
"a Under ss-Questloning mat
was not a. AN severe he went 10
pieces. and his testimony fell apart
Pepper attorney rlAcnot' soon
desisteQ from a TASK that had really
erown painful The crowd. which had
auehed AT the first OF Wilson's con
fused and eyasiye answers, became
silent
The game was 10 force Pinchoi 10
testify as 20 whether Wilson knew
of - Deliver letter for which Pin
chot was dismissed and which TAFT
held violated the presidents order
which foibids departmental Subord'
mates 10 communicate 10 congressman
unless they have permission from the
cabinet member who is their chief
Wilson's Sweeping Denial.
Pinchot reluctantly testified that he
had discussed the Dolliver letter with
Wilson. who did not forbid him 20
send H. Indeed Wilson told Pinchot,
the latter said. that no trouble from
the executive order would result
This. OF course. destroyed the case of
INSTRUMENTATION against Pinchot.
Wilson took the stand, In evident
anger and agitation. and denied all
responsibility for the Deliver letter
SO far. SO good. Pinchot's testimony
had been impeached.
on cross-examination, however,
Wilson admitted giving Pinchot au-
thority 10 send "a letter" 10 Dolliver
But. he said. ne supposed IL was 20
be about departmental matters" In
the next breath he said he had ad-
vised Pinchot against "blanketing the
presidents special message"
What With letter on mere de-
partmental matters" asked Pepper
Well. Wilson didn't know. One mo-
chots letter would bring the conserva-
ton controversy TO a crisis. and the
next he insisted that he didn't know
what the letter was 10 be about II
was clear that the old man hadn't
cared what Pinchot wrote 20 Dolliver
as long as he tWilson) could dodge
responsibility. and he believed he had
Vertrees Has Bullying Tone.
The impression Nertrees has made
by his cross-examination OF Pinchot
is that OF Quibbler He adopted the
bullying tone of an attorney examin-
ing some night Waterman dismissed
for drunkenness who subsequently
brought charges against his chief
You appear here, then. in the ca
pacity of a discharged employee OF the
government? Vertrees sneered
/ PinchOt laughed outright. and said
I he guessed he was Vertrees put all
! his energy into an effort 10 show that
/ Pinchot was a Jealous rival OF Balm
ger and sore az Taft for having dis
missed him The effort was an obvious
failure. Pinchot, CLAWS and Special
Agent Jones have all been sharply
| cross-examined with intent 10 show
that they were in sort Of q conspir-
acy 10 discredit Taft All have been
emphatic In their statements that they
acquitted Taft OF all blame for the
| Baliinger policies. and that. az the
worst, they believed the president mis-
led by bad advisers IL is safe 10 say
| that Vertrees has been bafled on this
| point OF attack as in the others.
Pinchot made his one error when
| he put too much emphasis on the
Ronald letter He said in his open
| ing statement that Ballinger deceived
| President Taft in three essential
points in a letter when he came TO
testify. he explained that the decep-
] ton was effected by means OF an IN
closure. letter written by Ballngers
law partner. Judge Ronald This fell
rather fat, because il seemed rather
0rfetched
! The two determined efforts made 10
shake the force OF the Claws test
mony failed as did the attack on Pin
choi.
Audience Laughs at Vertrees.
The alleged discovery Of missing pa
pers among the personal effects OF
CLAWS brought down the laughter Of
the audience on the head Of Vertrees
when b exploded this bomb. The 20
missing letters were documents
| strongly supporting the Claws testi-
mony The personal effects In which
CLAWS was supposed 20 have conceal
ed them were household effects. loose
! ~ packed and carelessly deposited in
the basement OF the Seattle federal
building CLAWS would have been a
clumsy conspirator 70 have placed the
missing papers in the top OF a box OF
books with but a couple OF boards,
nailed lath-like, across the top and
exposing the contents. Even Vertrees
soon dropped this boomerang of the
hidden papers.