Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1910-05-15
AFFIXED SIGNATURE To
THOUGHTS OF ANOTHER
stenographer in Office Of Secretary
Of Interior Makes Public How Heat
OF Department Was Whitewasheo
Of Accusations Made by L. ".
GIasls-White House Statement.
(By Associated rress.)

Oscar LawleT, assistant attorney gen
eral for the interior, of which Mr..
| Ballinger is the head, did In fact
prepare draft of a letter addressed
to Secretary Ballinger. and In such
form and phrase that IL might have
been adopted verbatim and signed by
the President as Mr.. Tafts exonera-
ton f the secretary of The charges
of l.. r. CLAWS, and authorizing the
dismissal OF CLAWS from his position
of special agent of the interior depart
m mt. This draft by Mr.. Lawler was de-
| livered this afternoon 20 the Ballin-
ger<Pinchot committee and ordered
spread upon the records of the inves-
tigation.
Adopted Two Paragraphs.
Careful comparison of the Eawler
draft, with the letter of the President,
shows that Mr.. Taft did In fact adopt
practically verbatim In two short
paragraphs of MIR. LAWYERS language.
The substance Ct the two documents
is otherwise widely dissimilar.
The thing came to head this ar
ternoon In the publication of a state
ment attributed to Frederick NJ Ker-
| by, one of the stencgraphers in the
Office of Secretary Ballinger. in WHICH
Kerby related at length the circum-
stances under which he alleged the
Lawler draft to have been prepared.
Kerby asserted further that all OF
the preliminary drafts used In the
preparation in the letter were burned
in a crate in the interior department
at the suggestion and under the su-
pervision of Don. NJ. Car, Mr.. Baliin-
gers private secretary.
Prepared by BaiIineer.
Kerby drew the inference that the
Lawler letter had been adopted by
the President, essentially as his own.
Mr. BalIinger and his legal adviser
bad. therefore. virtually prepared the
generation which Mr.. Taft had is
sued over his own signature.
Almost simultaneously with the
publication of the Kerby statement,
Attorney General Wickersham sent TO
the Ballnger-pinchct investigation
committee. then in session. a copy OF
the Lawler draft, accompanied by
letter to Chairman Nelson. in which
Mr. Wickersham declared that the
document had been overlook ID in
sending the papers accustomed by the
committee at the behest of Attorney
Brandeis
The following statement was given
out at the White House late this af-
ternoOn:
White House Statement.
with reference to the published
affidavit of F. NJ Kerby. a stenograph-
or in the Office of the secretary of in
terror to the effect that the Presidents
letter Of Septmber u. 1909, exonerst-
ing Secretary Bailinger. was sub
stantially prepared f-r the Prsident's
signature by Assistant Attorney Gen
ersI LAWYER. il was said at the White
House today. that there is absolutely
no foundation for any such statement.
The President diciat d his letter per
sonsliy as the result OF his own in
ves:igation Of the records and con-
sideratioB 4 documents and papers in
his possession at the time and upon
the report 10 him Of the attorney gen
eral-
<cttcFs OtUcF.
II was further pOintd out. both 1T
the White House and BY Attorney
General Wickersham himself. that a
comparison Of the LAWYER draft and
the Presidents letter would show that
the differences Of the Kerby state
mcnt were unwarrantcd.
Attorney General WickerShsm Dc.
clsrcd that i was quite obvious that
LAWYER did not prepare the letter
signed by President Taft
There Is only one clause which
In measure. the President adopted
said Mr.. Wickcrsham whist Mr.
Iawler prepared was what might be
termed suggested form ~ letter
which the President could adopt ~
he saw it-a practice 81 every dav