The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-05-16
TAFT SITS IN.
President Takes a Hand i'm Bal
linger-Pinchot Game.
Says He Wrote That Letter Elk
Onerating Ballinger.
HE WRITES TO NELSON
Giving the Inside History of the
Whole Affair.
Says He Ordered Wickersham
Letter Dated Back.

Washington, May 16.-President
Taft in person has taken hand in the
situation which has arisen concerning
the inside history of his letter of
| September 10, generating Secretary
Ballinger from the charges of Special
Agent L. R. CLAWS and authorizing the
dismissal of CLAWS.
over his own signature. he has adj
dressed long letter to Senator Knute
/ Nelson, chairman of the Rallin ger-Pin-
chot investigating committee, setting
forth i'll minute oetail the sequence of
events following his receipt at Beverly
| on August 8 of the charges of CLAWS.
The president makes no direct men
ton of the statement of Frederick M.
Kerby, the young stenogra pher in Bal
! fingers Office. in which the stenogra-
| rher declared that the presidents let
Ballinger's Office by Oscar Lawler. as
sistant attorney general for the in
terror department. although the ut
terances of Mr.. Taft obviously were
! provoked by Kerbys statement.
Mr.. Taft declares not only that Law
Ter did prepare such a letter as Kerby
said he did. but that he did so by the
presidents direction. When he re-
ceived it he found. he said, that it was
not what he wanted to issue and he
wrote the latter himself in the form
in which he desired it. using from
LAWYERS draft only cne or two gen.
| eral statements.
The president goes still farther and
takes up the question of the "back dat
ing of Attorney General Wicker
to which Attorney Louis D. Brandeis
has drawn attention.
Mr.. Taft says that the attorney gen
| erals letter was in fact "back dated
| and that this also was done by his spe-
cific direction.
| The letter in Full
/ Following is the full text of the
presidents letter:
'-The White House. Washingto May
Is, 1910.
"My Dear Senator Nelson: In the
hearings before the committee to in
vestigate the interior department and
forestry service reference has been
made to my decision upon the com
plant and charges of L. r. CLAWS filed
with me on the 18th Of August. last
against Secretary BallingeT and GER
tain other officials of the interior de-
partment. The majority of the com
mittee have decided that my action in
this regard was not within the juris-
| diction of The committee to investi-
gate. In spite of this ruling, refer
| ences to the matter have crept into
the record. For this reason, I deem il
+ proper to write you and state with
such accuracy as my memory permit.
what the facts are.
CLAWS statement and charges we-e
left with me by him on August IS. 1909
turned them over to the attorney
general, who happened to be in the
neighborhood, and he made notes upor
his reading. We both had persona
knowledge in respect to Secretary
Ballinger's attitude toward the Alaska
coal claims. which was the chief sub.
ject of innuendo and complaint for Mr.
Ballinger had very early in the admin.
istration consulted US both regardins
them.
within two or three days after the
filing of the charges, at a meeting 81
which the secretary of the treasury
the attorney general and the secretary
of the navy were present, a full discus
sion of the CLAWS statement was had
1t resulted in a general conclusion thai
a jealousy between the bureaus of the
interior department and the forestry
bureau probably explained the attitude
Of the interior department, but that the
limitations of bad faith by Claw:
against Mr.. Ballinger, and the others
required that the statement be sub.
mitted to them for answer. According
: ly copies of the statement were sent tt
Secretary Ballinger, to Assistant Sec
rotary Pierce. to Commissioner Dennet-
and Chiaf Of Field Service SChWa rt o