The San Francisco call., 1910-01-30


that attempts had been made to hinder
him in the investigation Of the Alaska
{ case during the period from October,
1905. TO March. 1909. Nelson also eau
toned Attorney Bra ndeis against ask
ing leading questions OF the witness
CLAWS declared that field eXamina-
ton was necessary to establish prima
facie case and testified as TO a visit he
had made TO the land Office on one
occasion.
What brought you to Washington
at that time?" asked Nelson.
CLAWS SEEKS M'LACHLAN
Il came to interview congressman
who had a claim in the Green group,
replied the witness amid laughter
Who was the congressman" asked
( Representative Nelson.
'McLachlan of California"
Did you see him or get an affidavit
from him2"
NO"
"Why not?"
Wei" said CLAWS, "Ballinger said
10 me that there had been too much
Of that sort Of thing in the past.
wouldn't see him if / were you, Bal
linger said"
One of the letters put in evidence to-
day was addressed by Schwartz to 6.
". Woodruff, assistant attorney gen
eral for the interior department.
Brandeis then read a letter. which
after making certain inquiries as to the
Interpretation of the Alaskan coal
lands act of May 2S. 1908 said:
submit this INQUIRY IN no spirit Of crit-
cism Of the regulations except that l feel
we need every ounce Of power TO prevent
Alaska frauds. which will by comparison
We have pending about 500 coal entries
every msn on the coast who knows any,
thing knows The Guggsnbeims do and Will
control the eosl situation unless al once
forestslled: the act Of May 2S. 1905. limits
its consolidation benefits TO entries alresdy
made (Guggenheim and two or three other
corporations) and so shuts out future com
petition
Exhibits show deposits in from 20 TO 50
feet width blankets Of clear coal. The 800
entries have, say 10000 acres
At 10 cents a ton on ~ loot VEINS the
royalty alone is $3.50, 0o0, 600.
Suppose in I'VE ten years. Guggenheim
shall have acquired control Of these lands.
VIII IL be charged 70 Secretary Garfield and
Comm issioner Dennettf
NELSON RESENTS ATTACK
Nelson said that he was chairman
Of the public land committee when the
act Of May IS referred to was passed.
Secretary Garfield recommended that
act" he said. Secretary Ballinger had
nothing whatever to do with it."
we have no fault to find with the
act" said Brandeis.
Il don't want you TO convey the inn
preston that il was passed for the
benefit of the Guggenheims or anybody
else remarked Nelson.
AS TO the act itself and as to why
il was passed we find no fault said
Brsndeis. but il was construction
given the law which but for the inter
vention OF CLAWS would have bene-
fted those people. CLAWS contested
the construction of Assistant Secretary
Z lad H.
ney General Wickersham."
PIERCE DISHEARTENED CLAWS
CLAWS declared that he was so dis
heartened by the ruling given by AS
sistant Secretary Pierce, which he re-
garded sas favoring the claimants in the
coal cases. that he thought Of resign
ing from the service and giving all the
facts in the case 10 the press. He
Went TO Henry NJ. Hoyt, now the at
torney general of Porto Rico and
cousin of Counselor Henry NJ HoYt of
the department of state.
He told Hoyt that the Pierce decision
rendered futile any further attempt TO
invaldate the Cunningham and other
Alaska claims. He told Hoyt also that
Ballinger had declined TO act in the
matter turning the entire subject over
10 Pierce.
ADV IL tE1N IN BY HOY II
Il told Hoyt my purpose To resign
and give out the facts, said CLAWS.
He said he thought it would make an
awful scandal on Taft's administration
which had hardly begun, and he did not
think il the best way. We discussed
the best method Of bringing about a
change in the opinion Of Pierce, which
We thought was a bad one.
;Hoyt said that he was a personal
friend Of Horace Taft, brother OF the
president, and he thought he would go
10 see and get him to tell the presi-
dent about il. After further talking
on the matter however he decided not
to do that, Hoyt thinking that the best
way was 10 90 to the department of
Justice.
CLAWS SEES NICkERSHAM
Several DAYS later about MAY %, I |
saw Attorney General Wickersham. /
who WAS on his way 10 cabinet meet /
ing. and he said that he had considered |
the matter as il had ,been presented /
TO him by Hoyt and that he intended |
to speak TO Ballinger about it at the /
abinet meeting. We could ask Bal I
linger to refer the matter TO him.
Two days later BaIlinger sent for
me and showed me number of let
ters he was writing, one of.them being |
In response 10 letter to Miles c. Moore, |
who had complained OF his disappoint-