The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-05-15
Dcniednt white House.


President letter Of September l3
1909 eXoneratng Secretary Ballinger
was substantially prepared for the
Presidents signature by Assistant
Attorney General Lawler, il was said
at the White House that there is
absolutely no foundation for any such
statement.
The President dictated his letter
personally. as the result OF his own
investigation Of the record and con-
sideration of documents and papers
in his possession at the time and upon I
the report to him of the Attorney
General
It was learned on good authority that !
this was what occurred in reference 10 /
the Lawler letter. Louis r. CLAWS and |
Clifford Pinchot had appeared at Bev-
erly last fan and had made their charges /
against Secretary Ballinger.
Mr. Taft had forwarded these charges )
TO Secretary Ballinger, and the Secretary, |
with Assistant Attorney General I.awler. |
appeared at Beverly and answered them |
orally President Taft had made up his |
mind on the facts presented and asked |
Lawler 20 draw up n memorandum for !
submission 10 him in the form OF letter
from the President to Mr.. Ballingcr. This
letter later was submitted by Tawler and !
the President uset it along with many
other memoranda. in debating the letter /
which he sent TO Mr.. Ballinger.
Attorney General Wickersham. in trans /
hitting the Lawler letter to the Congress
sional Investigating committee. explained /
81. Sc 4
he had answered previous calls for docu- |
ments. The Attorney General says in his |
letter 20 the committee:
Attorney GcncrHI Explains.
Il beg to say that ON receipt Of your
letter ] caused careful search to be
made i'm the files OF the department.
and have found a paper which trans
mit To YOU herewith. and which is
either the original or a copy Of the
memorandum prepared 10y Mr.. Law
Ter. I first received either this or
copy OF this memorandum from Mr..
Lawler on September H. 1899
ITO the best OF my rccouectionS.
left the memorandum. with other pa
peTs, at the Presidents house i'm Bev-
erlv on September T.. and received n
in New York about week later. to-
sethcr with other documents and mem
Oranda relating 90 the CLAWS matter
Since that time. 20 the best of my n
formation. il has been in the poses
sion Of my secretary or among the
papers in this department. although it
seems 20 have been overlooked I'm COLI
lecting papers I'm answ0r TO your pre-
yious communications
The first and seventh paragraphs Of
the Presidents letter Of eNoncration are
practically identical with paragraphs in
the Lawler memorandum. one paragraph
which Mr.. Lawler wrote and which ap-
pears in the Presidents letter is as fol-
lows:
Demands High Character.
The great responsibility Of CabiAt
positions demand the selection there
for Of men OF the highest character
and integrity Possession Of these
qualities Jas well as an ability and ex-
perience which especially fitted you TO
direct the affairs of the Department
OF the Interior warranted your ap-
pointment as Secretary. Duty TO the
country. TO YOU. and To myself re-
Quires that any aspcrsion upon the
propriety of your acts or those of your
subordinates be promptly met and
carefully considered 20 the end that. if
justified, proper remedy may be ap-
piled. and IL not that 1t may be pub
licly rcfuted'
Mr. Lawler made the closing sentence
OF his memorandum read "squareIy, en-
phatcally. and publicly refutcd." but the
President left out the words '.squarely"
and "emphaucally."
The Lawier memorandum is carbon
copy and covers thirty-three typewriter
pages.
As regards the essential facts affect
ing the charges against Ballinger the
verbiase Of the Presidents letter diff
fers materially from the Lawler mem
orandum. although the ideas are in
many Instances similar
II was said last night Oh authority
that the President. before he hal asked
Mr.. Lawler to prepare the memorandum.
had stated his views and beliefs to
Mr. Lawler for his guidance in pre-
pairing the document
Memorandum Was Delayed.
it was said at the Department OF
Justice that the Iawicr letter had been
sent to the Congressional Investigating
committee before the charges made by
Stenographer Ecrbv had become pub
lie. The memorandum did not. how
ever, appear in evidence until some
time after the newsboys were crying ,
the afternoon papers.
The statement by the Department of
the Interiors steuograpbcr came as a
great surprise TO Secretary Ballinger /
and his assistants. Kcrby had asked
for leave Of absence for two days.
TO take his Sunday school class on an
outing
This was readily granted 10y Secretary
Ballinger. who up TO this time had
placed the greatest confidence in Kerby.
When the news OF the Kerby statement
reached the Department Of the Interior
there was a high time trying to locate
Mr.. Kerby's Sunday school class to find
out II he was really responsible for the
words attributed 60 him. No one was
able to reach the stcnographcr however.
and Secretary Ballinger hurried down To
the White House.
President Taft had loft however. for
the golf links. and then the telephone
wires between the White House and ]
Chevy Chase began to sizzle
Mr.. Baninger went from the White !