The Detroit times., 1910-03-02
WILSON DENIES
P|NCH0T'S CLAIM
Secretary of Agriculture Says He
Did Not Consent To Criticism of
President Taft.

w AoillNb YIN MniNh oSNA''-
tary Wilson handed body blow x
Clifford PInchot late yesterday after
noon In a direc, denial of Pinchot'G
statement under oath that the letter
to Senator Dolliver was sent with Sec
rotary Wilson ) approval.
The secretary said he had never
seen il until he read ii in the Congress
sional Record. He again struck at
Pinchot by saying that when he had
requestol copy of the letter, Pinchot
had sent him instead a report by AS
sistant Forester PIice and Law Officer
Shaw which was really a summary OF
their opinions of their connection with
the case
Mr.. Pinchot declared he had dis
cussed the matter at length with Mr.
Wilson and that lie understood his
superior officer had given him express
PERMISSION to write to Mr.. Dolliver.
Mr.. Wilson Immediately took the
stand and asserted that while he had
given Mr.. Pinchot permission TO write
TO Mr.. Dolliver concerning "depart-
mental affairs" ne never did, and
never would have given him permits
sion 10 write a letter criticising the
president OF the United States.
Under discrimination, almost
wholly by the Democratic members
OF the committee Mr.. Wilson was UNI
certain as to just what had passed
between himself and the forester and
became somewhat mixed at times as
TO what letters the committeeman
were referring to in their rapid fire
ated again and again that he never
saw or heard of the letter Mr.. Pinchot
wrote until il was read In the senate.
The elderly secretary. who holds
all records<for cabinet service, was
plainly agitated when he took the
stand. Mr. Pinchot had been reluctant
to testify to anything that would
bring him into controversy with the
chief under whom he had served l.
years. But Chairman Nelson insisted
he should go into the matter.
Mr.. Pinchot declared that he and
Wilson went so far as to discuss the
executive order issued by President
Taft forbidding subordinate ofhcers
of the various departments from CIV
ing information To congress, and ne
added that the secretary said. You
and | will have no trouble about that
order"
Admitting that his memory failed
him as TO certain points, Mr.. wilson
always came back TO the statement
that he never under any circum-
stances would have given Mr.. Pinchot
permission TO write the letter which
caused his separation from the ser
vice.
When Secretary Wilson arrived,
Pinchot read his letter TO Dolliver.
He explained it was written because
he knew the president was laboring
under a misapprehension when he
wrote his letter generating Ballinger.
1T seemed to me- said Pinchot,
that there must have been certain
considerations which could not have
been presented to the president when
he took that action. For instance, the
president in his letter says Ballinger
as commissioner, acquired. only the
most informal knowledge OF the Gun
ningham claims, whereas ii has been
proved before this committee that
Ballinger probably knew more about
these claims than any man In gov
eminent service. He knew the exact
situation He had had consultation
with the claimants themselves. In
him was concentrated all the informa
ton on the subject.
Another oversight by the president
in his letter of exoneration was the
order by Ballinger clear-listing the
cases"
Were you insurbordinate in writing
the Dolliver letter. asked Attorney
Pepper.
81 don't think so. but | do not wish
TO go into the question Of insubordin-
alton" replied Pinchot. land should
regret 20 enter into the controversy
with Secretary Wilson