The Sentinel=record., 1910-01-27
.BALLINGER UNDER FIRE INVESTIGATION OF THE sALLlN- GER PNcHoT CONTROVERSY OPENS AT THE CAPITAL. Republican Committeeman Take Lead in lnvestigation--Glavis Gives
 Testimony-Pinehot at
 Meeting.

ger-Pinchot congressional committee of inquiry began it's public sessions
 today with Louis R. Glavis, the chief aceuser of Secretary Ballinger, on the witness stand. Due to many interrup- tions and the final decision of the committee to insist that Glavis' coun- sel should make an opening state ment of what specific charges were made against MT. Ballinger. the wit ness did not get very far laong in his narrative. There was an opportunity, however. to draw some conclusions as to the preliminary lineup of the com mittee.
 In his enthusiasm over the actual | beginning of the inquiry and the re- i suit of tedency to argue his views of the testimony to be adduced, the special counsel for Glavis, Louis D. Brandeis of Boston, had some diffi culty in reducing his statement to a brief recital of the charges, but fln- 1 ally hes ummed up the ease for the prosecution" in this way:
 That prior to entering the govern. ment service in any capacity K. A. Ballinger acted as attorney in drawing up an agreement in escrow and deeds in the Wilson Coal Company cases in Lewis county, Washington these cas- es being an alleged fraud upon the land laws. MT. Ballingers name did not appear in the court records of the case.
 That MT Ballinger. as commission CT of the land office in 1907, did not show due diligence in Investigating the alleged frauds in connection with the Cunningham coal land claims m Alaska: that he had knowledge of all the circumstances surrounding The claims and in spite of this entered the employ of one of the claimants after leaving the land office and before be- coming secretary of interior; that he ordered the claims to he clear listed for patent without due investigation and that they would have gone to pat ent if Glavis and others had not ID tervened."
 'It is not any one act but a series of acts and circumstances" declared Mir. Brandeis, adding that 1t was for the committee to determine whether or not the lands which should be held i for the benefit of the people anc Of , rosterity "are in safe hands"
 Senators Nelson. Root and Suther- land and Representatives Olmstead and Madison were the more active of the committeeman in plying the wit ness and his attorney with questions and many times they referred to Sec retary Ballinger's denials and sought explanations of what they considered discrepancies in statements.
 The Democratic members of the committee were not much Tn evidence today. Representative James asked only question or two and in each case only to clarifv some point at is sue. Representative Graham. the oth- CT Democrat took issue with Senator Nelson during the final minutes of the hearing and declared in a certain ,n- stance the burden of proof was upon the secretary of interior rather than on the witness.
 The inquiry will be resumed Friday morning and hereafter there will be morning and afternoon sittlngs every Friday and Saturday.
 1 Mir. Pinchot was present today with Messrs. Price and Shaw and their at torneys. Special Attorney Henry L.. Stimson of the department of justice also accompanied Mir Pinchot. He said he was present merely as a spec tator and friend of the former for ester.
 1 When f,lapis was sworn Senator