The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-05-12
ADMITS LETTER
WAS Ante DATED
Attorney Gen. Wickersham
Bears Out Contention of
Ballinger prosecution
WHlTEWASH GIVEN
EVIDENCE
President Taft's Action in Exon.
Grating Secretary of Interior
Made Before He Received
All Facts in Case.

WASHINGTON. d. c., May Ia
Attorney General wickersham, in 6
letter read from the witness stand to-
day by Secretary BalIinger, admitted
that nts summary or the GIavii
charges, upon which 1t has been sup
posed President Taft based his de-
clsion. was written after Taft's let
ter, and was a~nte-dated.
The letter was in answer to a cal
upon the Department of Justice for al
the papers used in the preparation OF
the summary" In part Wickershan
said:
This summary was n~ecessaril!
made up afterward and properly bear
the date of the day when the mattel
in question was presented to thu
President.
There is no mystery about tht
matter, and nothing which may no
be fully stated. bur due regard fol
the constitutional authority or the Elk
ecutive forbids that the action of tbs
President and his advisers shall b.
called In question BY a ~co-ordinat.
branch of the government"
MIR. Wickersham said that the sum
mary was merely a formal compiia
ton of data, which he submitted t.
the President on September II, so tina
in fact, he said. h ante-dating wa,
immaterial.
Mr.. Brandeis to-day made the as
sertion that he Is prepared to chow
that Mr.. Wickersham was In New
York city on September IL. Will.
President Taft was In Beverly. Mr.
Wtckersham, Attorney Branded
claims. did not see the President unit
the 18th. and then only for a few mo
ments after church. He did not con
fer with the President until Septem
Der 10. Mr.. Brandeis claims. tw,
days after the date of the President,
formal e~xoneration OF Secretary Bal
lfaEer.
Explains Significance.
Attorney Brnndeis said the signi.
ficance of the attorney-generafs ad-
mission that he antedafed the sum-
mary Is in the fact that the Presfdent
intifnated that his summary was be
fore him when he arrived at his de
cision ON the CLAWS charges.
On December FL, 1903, the Senate
adopted a resolution calling upon the
President to transmit amy. reports
statements. papers or document.
upon which he acted Ia reaching his
conclusion with reference to the said
charges"
Replying to this. President Taft, In
a communication dated January 6
1910. includes among the papers:
Summary by the attorney-genera
to the President under the date O.
September II, and separate repor
to the President from the attorney.
general under same date"
These assertions. coupled with tn,
announcement that Mr.. Wickershan
will appear as a witness, gave pros
pect OF a new sensational situation II
the near future.
Senator Nelson, chairman of tn
COMMITTEES. announced Informally TO
day that the Interior Department ha,
notified him that no copy of the Os
car Lawlor memorandum. sought b
prosecuting Attorney" Brandeis,
In h possession OF that department,
The committee agreed Tuesday t
ask for q copy Of the statement which
was sent to the President before h
issued his letter generating Raliin
ger. The committee. however refus
ed to ask the President for the orig
tnal. The reply to-day apparently 70
the present shuts on MI. Brandeis
efforts in that direction.