Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1910-05-20
TAFT ANSWERS
KERBYS CHARGE
ISSUES STATEMENT EXPLAINING
IN DETAIL HIS LETTER EXON
GRATING BALLlNGER.
DID NOT LIKE LAWLER'S DRAFT
President Then Dictated New Letter
In Which One or Two Sentences
of Assistant Attorney Generals
Statement Were Embodied.

| statement were Enpootcus
Washington, d. C.-President w. H.
Taft has issued a sweeping statement
explaining in detail the charge made
by F. M. Kerby, confidential stem
ographer in the Office of Secretary Of
Interior Ballinger, that the presidents
letter of last September generating
Secretary Ballinger was written by
Assistant Attorney General Lawler.
The president declares in the ordi-
nary course of public business, after
he had made a full investigation of
the CLAWS charges against Mr.. Bal
linger and had reached conclusion,
he requested Mr.. Lawler to prepare
for him a statement in line with those
conclusions. The statement thus
prepared, the president declares, was
not satisfactory in several particulars,
notable in the respect that it con-
tanned unnecessary references to Gift
ford Pinchot and Louis CLAWS, where
upon the president dictated new let
ter in which but one or two sentences
of the Lawler draft were embodied.
The presidents statement is in the
shape of letter to Senator Knute
Nelson, chairman of the joint COM
mittee which is investigating Secre-
tary Ballinger. 1t was issued after
long conference at the White House
in which at various times the attor-
ney general as well as Secretary
Nagle and Secretary Dickinson par
ticipated.
Presidents Statement on BallInger Case.
White House, Washington. May To-
My Dear Senator Nelson: In the hear
ings before the committee to investigate
the interior department and forestry
service, reference has been made to my
decision upon the complaint and charges
of l.. r. Claws filed with me on the thir
teenth of August last, against Secretary
Ballinger and certain other officials Of
the interior department. The majority
of the committee have decided that my
action in this regard was not within the
jurisdiction OF the committee TO inves-
tigate. In spite of this ruling, refer
ences to the matter have crept into the
record. For this reason, / deem 1t prop
er to write you and state with such ac-
, curacy as my memory permits what the
facts are.
Claws statement and charges were
} left with me by him on August IS, 1909.
I turned them over to the attorney gem
eral, who happened to be in the neigh
borhood, and he made notice upon his
| reading. We both had personal knowl-
edge in respect to Secretary Ballinger' s
/ attitude towards the Alaska coal claims
, | which was the chief subject of inundo
. and complaint, for Mr.. Ballinger had
very early in the administration consult
? ed us both in regard to them. Within
two or three days after the filing of the
charges, in a meeting at which the sec
| retary of the treasury, the attorney gen.
eral and the secretary of the navy We're
] present, full discussion of the CLAWS
/ statement was had. 1t resulted in a
| general conclusion that jealousy be-
tween the bureaus of interior depart
ment and the forestry bureau probably
e explained the attitude of the interior de-
a partment officials, but that the intima-
tions of bad faith by CLAWS against Mr.
Ballinger and the others required that
r the statement be submitted to them for
= answer. Accordingly, copies of the state
ment were sent TO Secretary Ballinger
to Assistant Secretary Pierce, to Com
missioner bennett and to Chief of FielC
IL Service Schwartz. Mr.. Ballinger was a
g Seattle, but upon receipt of the charge.
# he came to Washington to prepare hi.
b, answer. On Monday, September 6, Mr.
o Ballinger reached Beverley accompanied
5, by Mr.. Lawler. the assistant attorne,
II general of the department of justice, as
, signed to the interior department. Mr.
:. Ballnger sent to my house on that da.
b the answers to the various persons con
q cerned, together with a voluminous rec
\. ord of exhibits. i had a conference will
him the evening of the day he came
September 6, and then the following
evening, September Z, / talked over tn
a. charges with Mr.. Ballinger the frs
NJ evening, and asked such questions a
suggested themselves, without intimatin
10 any conclusion, and said that i woul
lg examine the answers and the record an
n would see him the next day. / sat u
"a until three o'clock that night readin
w the answers and exhibits; so at my mex
II conference / was advised of the con
W tents of the entire record and had mad
u up my mind that there was nothing 4
I" the charges upon which Mr.. Balinger o
sr the others accused could be found guilt
le OF either incompetency. inefficiency, dis
Ia | loyalty to the interests of the govern
~ ~ ment or dishonesty.
~ consults Attorney General.
'e In the discussion of the second even
In | ing. Mr.. Lawler. who was present at IN
suggestion, discussed the evidence O
some length. 1 said to Mr.. Lawler tina
- / was very anxious to write full state
'n ment of the case and set out the reason
or for my decision, but that the time for IN
ia departure on long western trip occupy
a ing two months was just one week froi
-e that day; that i had some six seve
Tx set speeches to deliver at the beginnin
ne of that journey, and that j could M
In give the time to the preparation of sue
- q detailed statement and opinion as
lr- would like to render in the matter.
)r- therefore requested Mr. Lawler to pre-
,a pare an opinion II he We're presiden
During the eighth, ninth and tenth
II gave such consideration to the CLAW
1g record as was consistent with previoi
,,f engagements but paid no attention
the speeches. On the ninth / telegrap phe
IL the attorney general to come to Beve
en- ley In order that might consult him
to respect to the case. He arrived thel
Saturday afternoon, September II, an
pursuant to an appointment made