The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-02-27
Ousted Forester Makes
Singing Indictmentof
Secretary Of Interior
DISLOYAL TO TAFT
AND DECEIT UL
Mr.. Pinchot Declares That Inter
ests Of People Are Unsafe in
His Hands, and That Such
Verdict Will Be Demand
cd From Investigating
Committee.

Washington, ID. c., February 20
llWith Clifford Pinchot on the witness
stand. the Ballingcr-P inchot invcstiga-
ton entered its second phase to-day.
/ The dismissed chief of the Forest Ser
vice. before being sworn, dramatically
declared, that when his story had been
told, the country would demand YER
diet "in harmony with the general
evidence that the Secretary of the In
terror has been unfaithful both to the
public. whose property he has endang-
cred. and to the President. who mhc has
. deceived"
l.. r. Claws, the Cunningham Coal
claims and Attorney Brandeis all stood
aside to make room for Mr.. Pinchot.
for Attorney George Wharton Pepper.
his personal counsel, and the story Of
Secretary Ballinger's dealing with the
water power of the public domain
Hcntcd Charge Made.
Mr.. Pinchot accused Secretary Bal
finger OF having made an explanation
OF his conduct to the President tina,
was Essentially false" He charged
him with being Dangerous enemy 10
conservation He charged him with
having made statement shown By
undisputed documentary evidence to
be absolutely false in three essential
particulars He charged him with
having "wilfully deceived the Prcsi-
dent" and OF being disioyal to tho
President.
SIR. Pinchot's first hours on the Wit
ness stand were as replete with sensa-
! tions as had been promised.
| His recital had not progressed very
far. however. when there came an OBJ
4 i5rt fr1, e. pafl a4,r
as to the witness repeating conversa-
lions he had with President Taft. II
was contcnded that the relation OF
| these conversations would put the
/ President in an attitude where he
would either have to remain silent OF.
else appear before the committee as
2 witness. which 1t was declared would
4 be undesirable.
| The question was argued and during
4 the course of his statement of the mat
| ter the attorney for Mr.. Pinchot adj
| mitted that President Taft. in let
ter written subsequent to the CONVEX
sation, had declared that his recollcc-
tion OF what transplred at the inter
view differed in some particulars from
that of Mr. Pinchot. The matter was
| put over for consideration BY the COM
| nlittee in executive session.
No Such Decision.
! One of the most dramatic incidents
! was when MIR. Pinchct declared thai
! there was no such decision by the
/ Comptroller of the Treasury as had
| been cited by President Taft in his
| letter of September Is. 1909, to Secrc-
tary BallinGer. dismissinS the CLAWS
charges and authorizing the removal
| OF CLAWS from the service of the United
! States
| Mr.. Pinchot's Implication that Pres
idenr Taft had either been misled or
utterly mistaken brought about rapid
| fire Of questions from members of the
committee. Mr.. Pinchot, however
| would not withdraw from his position
that there was absolutely nothing L,
| the decision which President Taft must
have referred TO which in any way
warranted the abrogation of the co.
! operative agreement by Secretary Bal.
| linEer. He declared in fact that 2
previous opinion specifically held that
| the agreement was lawful. This fea-
ture was temporarily passed over, but
| 1T was very evident that it would be
| taken up more fully
One of the minor charges made by
| Mr.. Pinchot was to the effect that Mr.
! Ballinger, as Commissioner of the Lane
| Office in 1907. protested against the ere.
/ htAoAi " VIC Al Ssl w III [hIttSh
The reserve was created over his pro.
/, test, however. and includes most Of tkc
| Cunningham coal claims.
1 Barr Examined.
4 The forenoon session was devoted II
| part to further examination of w. w
Barr, of Seattle, as to the agreement
now in effect between him and T.. II
| CLAWS as to Securing timber lands il
Washington. Barr said that Claw:
| was able to give him information a!
to the location of available lands
which he had never been able to pro
/ cure before, and the efforts Of thu
committeeman was clearly directed to
ward bringing out the fact that CLAWS
! within two months after he had LET
the government service, was engaged
1 in making use of knowledge gained a:
a public servant for the benefit OF pri.
l Nate parties. Just as he charged Score
tary Balllnger with doing after retir-
Ing from office as Commissioners of the
4 General Land Office,
/ was stated by Barr that If tho dea
! which he and CLAWS had entered into
was carried through, Glavis's share IL
4 the profits would amount to about
| $4,000,
i AR Pinchot's statement follows:
what 1 desire to lay before the
committee is a consecutive story OF
my experience With Mr., Ballngcr In
4 relation to tho conservation OF natural
lresourccs Among several other mat
tiers. There arc three of principal I'M
!portance to bo called to your alton
ton.
.The first OF these concerns tho
policy, devised and inaugurated by
the last administration, Of protecting
against monopolIstic control the water,
power sites owned by the people.
i shall show you that Secretary Balm
&, ger entered his office with the cleal
determination to make short work
OF that policy; that he reversed 1t sc
far as he was allowed to do So tina
4 he restored the power sites to entr,
!! without the remotest idea OF rewriting
\ them; and that, finally, when
charged him last autumn to the Presi
~ Continued on Fifth Page,)