Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-01-08

w aShlngton, Jan. i.-GlfOrd Pm
chot, chief forester and intimate
friend of Theodore Roosevelt was dis
missed from the service of the United
States tonight by President Taft for
insubordinacy. Associate Forester
Overton w. Price and Assistant Law
Officer Alexander c. Shaw, Pinchot's
immediate assistants in the forestry
bureau, followed their chief out of the
governments employment. Thoroughly
| indignant over the action of Mr.. Pin
chot in inducing Senator DolliVer of
Iowa to read letter from him in the
Senate yesterday President Taft would
listen to no advice today that the for
ester's violation of executive orders
be overlooked pending the inquiry soon
to be undertaken by Congress. He de-
| clared the dignity of the office he was
chosen by the people to fill was being
lattaCked and he would be unfaithful
to his trust of he submitted longer.
| Mr.. Taft realizes fully what the dis
missal Of Forester Pinchot means in a
political way. He had been convinced
| for sometime that the so-called In
surgcnts and other critics of his admin
iStration enlisted the services of Mr..
Pinchot and practically were defylng
! him to relieve Pinchot of his office.
| The latter's letter of yesterday, few
| here doubt, was written with the di-
rect purpose of putting it squarely
| up to the President"
The President tried to avoid the
! threatened war as long as he could, but
| declared today that patience had
| 10 -irf,I nln<p6
| he gauge of battle thrown down by
| Mr.. Pinchot by the hand of Senator
| Dolliyer in the Senate and with the
| administration supporters, is ready Tor
| the fray, which is certain to cnsue.
Political observers in Washington
| leclare that the situation created by
| oday's developments is the most tense
| IF many years. What the outcome Will
| Ne no one is willing TO prophesy.
| The dismissal of Pinchot has lent fuel
| % the flames of the elaboration and the
| Insurgents are adventurinS all man
| Ter of predictions as to what is TO
| 1apper in the future. Three Republ-
| ans not classed as Insurgents, but
| protesting their friendship for Plnchot
| roted with the Insurgents and Demo-
| rats for the amendment which calls
| or the selection of the House investi-
| rators by election from the floor
| These two incidents at the Capitol
| md the White House kept Washington
in a political ferment all day. The
| cabinet was in special session during
| practically the entire afternoon after
| he regular session of the morning.
| Secretary Ballinger, cognizant OF the
| ,ction that was about to be taken, re-
| NAMED away from the afternoon ses-
;ion. 1t was at the end of this special
| session tonight that the President made
| oublc the letter he wrote to Mr.. Pm
hot notifying him that his usefulness
as a public servant under the present
| administration was at an end.
/ Mr.. Taft in his letter accuses Pin
,hot of having taken his stand against
Secretary Ballnger wholly upon the
| Evidence adduced by l.. b. CLAWS and
without regard for the evidence on the
| other side on file in the interior Depart
| nent The letter directing Secretary
| Wilson to dismiss the forester forth
| with was carefully framed during the
afternoon sitting of the cabinet ana
was revised several times before final
w being made public. 1t is the Presi-
dents own statement Of the case.
President Taft's letter to Forester
| Pinchot informing him of his dismissal
follows:
The White House,
Washington, Jan. Z. 1910.
Sir:
'"The secretary of agriculture in
forms me that on the 2Sth OF Decempei
your associate forester, Mr.. Price
went to him and proposed to reslgf
on the ground that he had been en-
gagged with Mr.. Shaw, assistant In Id"
office, in instigating the publlcatiof
in various newspapers and magazines
articles attacking the good name o.
Secretary Baliinger and charging tht
interior department and land Office
with corruption. The secretary there
upon wrote a note to you under dat
of Dec. %, asking for your recommen
dation in the premises. You did no
answer but on Jan. you had con
versation with him in which you salt
YOU wished to make statement which
should be read in the Senate at tn
same time that my message transmit
ting the record in the CLAWS cas-
reached there, and that you though
YOU could induce Senator Dolliver 7
3 introduce the statement for you. Tn
l secretary advised against such
course, hut asked you for recon
: mendation as to accepting Prices resig
t nation. in order that he might brin
the matter to me, to whom he told 70