Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-05-16
ATTORNEY FOR INTERIOR DE.
PARTMENr PREPARED BAL
LINGER WHlTEWASH.
APPoINTEE OF SECRETARY
PREPARED TAFT'S OPINION
Stenosrapher in Interior Department
Springs Sensation in Attack on Bal
Iinser-Expects to Lose His Job as
Pinchot Did-GeneraI News of In
terest.

ef, is nead, OlQ, IN TACT, prepdfS d
draft of a letter addressed to Balling-
er in such a form and phrase that 1t
might have been adopted verbatim
and signed by the president as Taft's
exoneration of the secretary from the
charges of l.. r. Claws and authorize
ing the dismissal of CLAWS from his
position as special agent of the inter-
Tor department.
This draft by Lawler was delivered
this afternoon to the Ballinger Pin
chot committee and ordered to be
spread upon the records careful
comparison of the Lawler draft with
the letter of the president shows that
Taft did, in fact adopt practically
verbatim two short paragraphs of
LAWYERS language. The substance of
the two documents were otherwise
greatly similar. 1t was the subject on
every tongue Saturday night in Wash
ington.
The thing came to head this after
noon in the publication of statement
attributed to Frederick NJ. Korby, one
of the stenographers in the office Of
Ballinger in which korby related the
circumstance under which the alleged
Lawler draft had been prepared.
Korby asserted further that all pre-
liminary drafts used in the prepara-
ton of the letter We're burned in the
CRATE in the interior department at
the suggestion and under the super
vision of Don NJ Carr, Ballinger's pri-
vate secretary.
Wickersham Sent Copy.
Korby drew the inference that
the Lawler letter had been adopted
by the president essentially as his
own; that Ballinger and his legal adj
visor had therefore, virtually pre-
pared the generation which Taft is
sued over his own signature. Almost
simultaneously with the publication,
Attorney General Wickershaw sent to
the committee then in session copy
of the LAWYER draft, accompanied by
letter in which Wickersham declar-
ed that the document had been over
looked in sending the papers re-
questioned at the request of Glaviss
attorney
Taft Issues Statement.
The publication of Korbys state
ment evoked from the White House
la statement declaring that there was
absolutely no foundation for the
statement. that the presidents letter
of Sept. 10, 1909. was substan-
tally prepared for the presidents sig
nature by Assistant Attorney General
Lawler, and asserting unequivocally
that the president dictated his letter
personally as the result of his own in
vestigation of records. documents and
papers in his possession at the time
and upon the report of the attorney
general"
Balilnger held long conference with
Wickersham. Coming out of the con-
ference he appeared angry but said
that there was nothing TO be ashamed
Of
korby at Picnic.
Korby could not be found in the af
ternoon. 1t was said he had gone to
Sunday school picnic Wickersham
declared it obvious that Lawler did
not prepare the letter signed by Taft
and said that Taft adopted only one
clause He said what Lawler pre-
pared was what might be termed
suggested form of tlHetter which the
a practise of every day occurrence in
the executive departments of the gov
eminent"
given to him by LAWYER on September
IL. and that he left it with Taft at
Beverly the next day. Lawler said
that he could rot discuss the matter
without the presidents permission.
Don NJ. Carr, and Assistant Se.re-
tary Of the Interior Pierce refused to
talk.
E. c. Finney, assistant to Ballinger.
declared that Korby's assertion that
| he (Finney) took part in any confer
Ience on the LAWYER memorandum wax
a lie"
Brandeis After Memorandum.
| Attorney Brandeis. Claws counsel
has made several attempts to secure
the Lawler memorandum and has
! promised that it would appear so
similar to Taft's leetter of Sept.
10, as to prove that it formed the
basis of the presidents letter exoner-
ating Ballinger. With Fred D. bennett.
the commissioner general of the land
.office on the stand Saturday af-
ternoon Brandeis brought up the sub
| ject of the memorandum
|. bennett says that he had nothing to
do with it's preparation. bennett gen
orally corroborated Ballinger's testi-
monq regarding the Cunningham
claims In newspaper statement at
tributeds to Korby, Korby says in
what Lawler dictated he referred to
BaHinger as you" in each case and
tT' was used turnout, which. from
| the context could mean no other than
Taft himself
Subject of Conferences.
The statement goes on to say that
the draft was the subject of several
conferences in which he participated.
The statement says "Ballinger, LAWYER,
Finney Frederick Bennett chief OF
the Field service, Schwartz and think
first the Assistant Secretary Frank
Pierce, and Private Secretary Carr
In general, Taft softened Lawler's
fdraft and doubtless very materially
changed the wording; in that he sub
stituted for certain Iawler phrases
phrases OF his own, meaning the same
thing"
Korby is also quoted as saying:
There is the following passage in the
iTaft letter which certainly embodies
LAWYERS thought"
The neutrality-suspicious. of cabinet
Ipositionsr demands the selection, there
Iure, % 1Iie.. % s1isit character nd =.
tegrity. The possession Of these quail
| ties, as well as an ability and expert
snce. which especially lifted you to d.
lrect the Affairs Of the department Of