Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-05-15

yourself, Assistant Secretary Pierce,
Commissioner Of the General Land Once
Schwartz, in reference to the so-called
Cunningham group of coal land claims In
Alaska"
The first paragraph Of the LAWYER
memorandum is substantially identical.
Paragraphs Which Are Alike.
The seventh paragraph OF the Presi-
dents letter and the second Of the Law
Ter memorandum are those referred to by
Attorney General Wickersham as being
alike Both read as follows:
The great responsibility Of cabinet
positions demands the selection therefore
of men of the highest character and In
tegrity. Possession Of these qualities, as
well as an ability and experience which
especially fitted you to direct the AFFAIRS
of the Department of the Interior, war
ranted your appointment as Secretary.
Duty to the country, to you. and to my
self requires that any aspersiOn upon the
propriety of your acts or those Of your
subordinates be promptly met and care
fully considered, to the end that. II tusti-
fled, proper remedy may be applied. and,
If not, that 1t be publicly refuted."
The last phrase in the Lawler letter
reads: and If not that it may be square,
ly emphatically and publicly refuted."
Here the similarity ends.
Changes of Verbiage.
The President in his letter speaks of
the inference which Glayis seeks to draw
to Ballinger's discredit that while he
was commissioner of the land office he
come into possession Of facts concern
ing the so-called Cunningham group Of
coal land claims which made 1t improper
for YOU to use facts after your resigna-
securing
Lawler says:
Game into possession of facts which
were. after your resignation. used to the
detriment of the government in the
course of private employment by some of
the parties interested in said claims
The President says another inference
is that:
You have acted improperly since you
reference to the Cunningham cases. and
have used your influence to interfere
with Mr.. CLAWS efforts to defeat the
claims
coming Secretary Of the Interior in
reference to the consideration of the
Cunningham cases :n the Improperly
been consulted by parties interested
therein after your retirement as COM
missioner, and before being appointed
Secretary"
Essential Differences.
Mr. Taft's letter says:
1.-THE whole record shows that Mr..
CLAWS was honestly convinced Of the
illegal character Of the claims in the
group, and that he was seek
ing evidence to defeat the claims
LAWYERS letter credits him with no
such honest intent, stating:
THE reports and records have been
carefully examined. and. therefrom, I
without justification, but that CLAWS
has been guilty of a perversion and
of truth, amounting to
actual Misrepresentation
Mr. Taft, in his letter. authorizes Bal
linger to dismiss CLAWS for filing dis
ingenious statement, unjustly impeach-
ing the official integrity Of his superior
officers
Lawler calls his statement 'disingen-
uous and colored. seeking, through in
nuendo and inference. to create sus-
Sicion of improper conduct on the part
Of his superiOrs, by recital OF isolated
disassociated from the sur
facts, and quotations and de-
tached letters and kilograms, without ref
ference to the communications to which
they were replies or to responses ELECTED
to them
The Lawler document is much longer
than the entire Taft letter and deals ex-
clusively with the Alaskan coal claims.
while only about half of the Taft letter
refers to the CLAWS charges, the balance
relating to the forestry controversy, to
which Lawler hardly refers at all. The
Lawler draft totals upward of 5000
words; that Of the President makes about
$500