The San Francisco call., 1910-02-01
CLAWS AIMS BLOW
AT President TAFT
Says Garfield's Hostility to Coal
Lands Claimants Reason for
Losing Portfolio
Denies Malice Toward Nations
Executive in Repeating
Conversation

WASHINGTON, Jan. 31.-When the
mittee adjourned late today until next
Friday morning al 10 o'clock, Louis r.
CLAWS was still on the stand. He will
| be further questioned at that time.
CLAWS was cross examined today by
several members of the committee, the
democrats taking by far the more
| prominent part in the questioning and
framing their interrogations in a way
that ELECTED answers tending to accen-
tuate certain parts of the testimony al
ready given by the witness.
METHODS TERMED "FEEBLE,
At the close of the hearing Senator
Nelson called attention to the fact that
| the committee was proceeding feebly
and blindly as there was no one pres
ent to cross examine as the representa-
tive of the other side.' Personally, he
said, he had no desire to question the
witness further. 1t was thought best
however, that CLAWS remain in the city
until certain documents called for from
the interior department have arrived
| and have been examined.
! Senator Root moved that these docu-
ments should be printed before being
! introduced Attorney Brandeis. repre-
| senting CLAWS and others, said that
for might prove to be irrelevant.
CRITICIsEs BALLINGER's ACTS
Cross examined by Senator Fletcher
| of Florida, CLAWS said today that Bal
linger, while commissioner of the land
Office, had appeared before that com
mittee of congress and by his testi-
mony had favored a bill that would
validate all of the Alaska coal claims.
He also said that affidavit filed Sep
tember 4, 1908 by Clarence Cunningham
had on it a backing which bore the
name of the firm with which Judge
Ballinger was connected. CLAWS said
when Ballinger asked him not to pro-
ceed with his investigation of the coal
claims until after election because of
the slowness of campaign contribu-
tions, no one was present to overhear
the conversation.
The name of Donald A Mckenzie was
brought prominently to the inquiry this
afternoon when CLAWS testified McKen-
ze had told him that the reason James
r. Garfield was not retained in Presi-
dent Taft's cabinet as secretary of the
interior was because of his antagonism
to the Alaskan coal claimants.
MAKES OUT AFFIDAVIT
CLAWS said he made an affidavit con-
tanning this interview but denied when
questioned by Senator Root that he re-
garded it as a reflection upon President
Taft or that he intended to use it as
an attack upon Taft. CLAWS said he
thought the president might be inter
ested in it, and he thought also that
the affidavit would interest Garfield.
Asked what he had done with the af-
fidavit he said he left one copy in the
land Office at Seattle and sent the other
to the forestry bureau.
At this afternoons session Represen-
Fletcher of Florida, both democrats
alternately took up the examination.
CLAWS attention was brought to the
fact that Saturday he had testified that
bennett was anxious to have influential
support to be reappointed commits
sioner of the land office. He was asked
whose support bennett had
DENNETT's RUMORED SUPPORTERS
Il understand he had Representatives
McKinlay and McLachlan of California
and Representative Kincaid of Ne
braska behind him." replied the wit
ness.
Were any of these claimants under
the Cunningham group?"s
No; they were all in the Green
group"
The witness said he had learned also
in a letter from H. II. Schwartz that
Senator Guggenheim also was support
ing bennett.
Senator Fletcher took the witness
back over a large part of his testi-
mony.
What did Secretary Ballinger have
to do with the Cunningham affidavit of
September, 190S?" he asked
That is the one he prepared, a least,
/ think he prepared it, although l don't
know of my own knowledge"
What reason have you for believing
it?"
The backing of the affidavit had the
name of Judge Ballingers law firm on
1t and Schwartz told me-.
Now, as to the conversation you had
with Ballinger when he requested you
to discontinue your investigation until
after the election. 1908, just what did
he say?" asked Senator Fletcher
CLAIMANTS WE'RE ANGRY
He didn't ask me to discontinue, for
I had not resumed. l told him / had
been detailed to take up the Alaska
coal cases again and he said he wished
I would not because men like H c.
Cheney and C. j. Smith, who had been
liberal contributors to the campaign
fund in the past, were mad and hold
ing off because their claims had not
been patented"
Was any one else present at this
conversations"
mo. sir 1t was in the lobby of the
Portland hotel at Portland, Ore We
had been talking there for an hour or
more"
When did you first call in the for
estry service?" Senator Fletcher next
inquired.
Il sent a telegram to Law officer
A. C. Shaw of the forest service July
16, 1909"
Didn't you think it incumbent upon
you to consult your superiors before
taking that action?"
mo, sir, not under an agreement
reached between Secretary Garfield and
Secretary WILSON,
"Why did you telegraph Shaw?"
Because 1 wanted the hearings in
the Cunningham cases postponed
ITO what extent after that did the
forestry enter into the matter?'
SHAW telegraphed me he could not