Los Angeles herald., 1910-04-24
YELLOW DOC Gets
INTO P|NCH0T CASE
Former Forester Accused of Viii
flying BaIIinger in
Conversation

WASHINGTON, April 23.-An effort
was made by the defense" in the
Ballinger- -Pinchot investigation today
to show that Clifford Pinchot and his
assistants had conspired to overthrow
Secretary Ballinger because he opposed
'Pinchots way of conserving
George Otis Smith, director of the
geological survey, occupied the stand
during practically the entire day. His
most interesting disclosure related to a
conversation he had with Mr. Pinchot
last July in which the latter is said to
have characterized Mr.. Ballinger as
yellow dog and to have threatened
TO lead fight against the secretary il
there was any criticism of former Sec
retary Garfield at the Spokane irriga-
tion congress.
Mr.. smith also told of a talk with
Associate Forester o. w. Price last Sep
tem5er, while the latter was acting for
ester, in which Price is alleged to
have said that 1--WE will get him (Bal-
linger) one way or another"
Following his interview with Mr..
Pinchot, Mr.. Smith said he went to at
tend the Spokane congress, where the
fight was precipitated over a charge
that Mr.. Ballinger had allowed the i'm
terests" to grab large number OF
valuable water power sites.
Mr.. Smith excited great interest
among members of the committee by
reading a letter he wrote August 16,
1909, to subordinates in his office here
while he was on the way back from
the Spokane congress, describing the
fight.
WHAT SMITH WROTE
"The whole conservation movement
is now linked up with Mr.. Pinchot's
views on the subject" wrote Mr..
Smith, 80 that orthodoxy in the cause
means agreement with Pinchot. AS [
look at it, any issue is to be raised
that can be against Secretary Ballin-
ger, not because of that issue, but be-
cause Ballinger is to be overthrown
because he opposes Pinchots way of
conservation.
Now there was no criticism of Gar
field at Spokane, and yet the fight
came off as planned. The congress
was organized, the issues were shaped,
the orators chosen, the newspapers
primed, in short, all guns were loaded.
The result was that the power site
grab charge was defective, and the
Alaskan coal charge went off earlier
than planned"
After commenting on the fact that
all the speeches made by those from
whom trouble had been expected were
"in such good taste" Mr. Smith
wrote ethat Governor Pardee had
started the trouble by speaking on
1.-THE Sins of Ballinger" instead of
Irrigation Interests of the People" on
which he was announced to speak.
"Though he (Pardee) told me he in
tended nothing personal he insinuated
that Ballinger was either a fool or
lInaye. and rather intimated the lat
ter as his favorite hypothesis"
SMITH ATTACKS PARDEE
Mr. Smith said this occurred Wednes-
dav afternoon and that when Mr.. Bal
linger was ready to leave he asked him
to stay behind and refute Pardee's
''1nisstatements' and to stand out in
the open against Pinchot and his asso-
ciates. He added he spoke on Thurs
dav morning, after several efforts had
been made to keep him off the plat
form.
"The governor and l avoided person
alities." continued Mr.. Smith, "and con-
tented ourselves with showing up each
others falsehoods."
"The governor was there to fight
Pinchot's fight" he went on. The big
grab shrunk every hour and Pardee's
insincerity made a bad impression on
MANY delegates. I played the other
line. and while l did not draw many
tears 1 was successful enough to make
them gag me with a motion to adjourn.
.'The Alaska story leaked, much ia
the disgust of Ballingers enemies. 1
am afraid that the we'll meaning con-
servationists are using the DEVILS own
weapons to fight the interests. Back
Of it all, try to hide it as they may, is
the issue of whether control shall be
executed by legisla tlol, and the making
of law, or by administration and the
construction of law. 1 have yet to
learn that any power sites have been
stolen"