New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-05-15
TWO LETTERS COMPARED
President Adopted Some Phrases
from LAWYERS Memorandum.

Washington, May 1.-THE draft prepared
by Assistant Attorney General LAWYER and
the letter actually written and made pub
lie by President Taft are now matters of
public record i'll the testimony of the in
vestigating committee. President Tafts
letter begins as follows
On the 18th day of August last MIR. L. r..
CLAWS, chief of tbs field division of the
General Land Office, with headquarters at
Seattle. Wash. called upon me here and
submitted a statement or report relating
to the conduct. OF the Interior Department.
and particularly 10 the action of yourself,
Assistant Secretary Pierce. Commissioner
of the General Land Office bennett and
Chief Schwartz of the Field Service, In ref
erenee to the so-caled Cunningham group
of coal land claims in Alaska.
The first paragraph of the LAWYER memo
randum is substantially Identical.
The seventh paragraph of the Presidents
| letter and the second of the LAWYER memo
randum are those referred to by Attorney
General Wiekersham as being alike. Both
read as follows:
The great responsibility OF Cabinet posi-
lions demands the selection therefor Of
men of the highest character and integ-
rity. Possession OF these qualities, as we'll
as an ability and experience WHICH espe-
cially fitted you TO direct the affairs of
the Department of the Interior, warranted
Your appointment Secretary. Duty TO
the country, to you and TO myself requires
that any aspersion upon the propriety of
your acts or those OF your, subordnates
be promptly met and carefully considered,
te the end that, If justified. proper RENE
dy may be applied, and If not, that 1t be
publicly refuted.
The last phrase in the Lawler letter read:
and if not that it may be squarely. en-
phatically ana publicly refuted." Here the
similarity ends.
The President in his letter speaks of the
! ,,,fa 70
Ballinger's discredit that while he was
Commissioner of the Land Office he came
into possession Of facts concerning the So
called Cunningham group OF coal land
claims which made II improper for you TO
use such facts after your resignation in
the course of securing patents LAWYER
says: Game into possession OF facts which
We're, after your resignation, used to the
detriment OF the government in the course
OF private employment by some OF the par
ties interested in said claims"
The President says another Inference is
that you have acted improperly since you
became Secretary of the Interior In refer
ence TO the Cunningham cases, and have
used your influence TO interfere with Mt.
Giavis's efforts TO defeat the claims" Law
Ter says You have acted improperly
since becoming Secretary of the Interior in
reference to the consideration of the Gun
ningham cases, the improperly arising out
of the fact of your having been consulted
by parties interested therein after Your
retirement as Commissioner and before
being appointed Secretary
Mr. Tafts letter says the whole record
shows that mr.. CLAWS was honestly CON
WINGED of the Illegal character Of the claims
in the Cunningham group and that he was
seeking evidence TO defeat the claims "
LAWYERS letter credits him with no such