The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-03-26
LAWYER BRAND[|S
SPR:.INGSI.!SiU|RPR|sE !
Asks That Secretary Ballingcr
Submit to.an Examil1a-
ton.
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ALL PARTIES IRRITABLE. III ABB
Attorneys and Committee Mem
bers Wcaried With Pro
longed Hearing.

bers Wearied With Pro
J. longed Hearing.
Washington, D. c., March 25-The
Ballinger-P Pinchot inquiry was resumed
to-day, after an adjournment OF prac-
tical1y two weeks.
4 AS soon as the committee met this
morning Attorney Brandeis. represent
!, ing Louis r. CLAWS and others, sprans
a surprise by requesting that Secretary
of the Interior Ballinger be called as
one OF his witnesses. Mr.. Brandeis
! stated at first that he wished to
| that he desired to introduce in evi-
dence at this time. He admitted later
on that he desired to conduct general
| examination of the accused Cabinet
| official
Counsel for Mr.. Ballinger objected
to this. and called forth from Mr..
| Rrandeis the remark that from his let
ters he had always supposed Mr.. Bal
l1nger to be ready to appear whenever
and as often as any one connected
With the inquiry. desired.
Some n1enlb ers or the scommittes
seemed to think that Mr. Ballinger, as
the person most Interested In the In.
qufry. should have opp portunity to
make his statement first in his own
way and not subject himself to a
cross-examination before being ex-
amined in chief. The matter was
passed over temporarily.
Birch on Stand.
Tho witness stand was occupied dur
Ing the entire day by stephen Birch.
managing director of the Morgan
Guggenheim Syndicate IN Alaska
Members of the committee were deep
ly Interested In the operations Of the
Alaska syndicate, and they piled
witness with questions from
every possible angle. Much OF the
questioning was intended to show that
the Guggenheims practically control
Alaska. Mr.. Birch stoutly denied this.
'.Well." he was asked by Represent
Stative Graham, IF the Guggenheims
got control Of the coal lands In Alas
ka, what would there be left?"3
Mr.. Birch said he didn't think this
was a fair question to ask him. He
admitted that the Guggenheims' In
5terests wero large; that they had In
vested sohe SIS. 100000 already, and had
contracted for the expenditure Of
other millions. There had been no re .
turns from these Investments as yet.
But the syndicate had hopes"
8 AS to the Cunningham claims, Mr..
Birch produced the option which a
committee OF claimants had given to
Daniel Guggenheim July 90, 4 907. He
declared that this option had been ac-
,cepted by the Guggenheims Deem
lber of that year. The claimants.
however. had never lived up to its
terms. Cunningham he said, in Jan-
uary or February. 9os, had contend ed
that the Guggenheims themselves had
voided the option by changing their
railroad base from Katalla to Cor
dova, and furthermore the option was
OF no effect, because a maj oritY OF the
claimants had never ratified It.
Knew OF No "Influence.'
Mr.. Brandeis sought to show that
the N1organs and Guggenheilns, with
their great power and Influence IN
this country" must have brought this
power to bear during the
past two years In an effort to get
patents granted to /, the Cunningham
claimants. Mr.. Birch declared how-
ever. that lle knew OF no such efforts
having been made.
What could we have done 2" he pro-
tested. 5 # e ID
/ III. Mr.. Birch, You can answer that
far better than 4" drama tically Sex-
claimed Mr., Brandeis,
As to his estimate that the coal In
Alaska was worth so cents a ton, and I
that therefore the Cunning ham claims
represented an actual value Of s25.-
900, 900, Mr., Birch declared that 1t was I
lust as sensible to say that the ice-
bergs In Ala ska were OF inestimable
ypl lSpa 81 M y y ~ 4 Z