The Washington times., 1910-02-21
Secretary of Agriculture ST.
lent as to Charge He
Sanctioned Letter.
PLAINLY RESENTS
MAGAZINE ARTICLE
Writer Asserts Former Forester
Sealed Lips Because OF ~
Long Friendship.

Ina an articl9< appearing in the March
number OF the Van Norden Magazine.
entitled What Pinchot Did Not Tell"
Robert Wickh;ye WOolley asserts that
not only was Clifford Pinchot, the de-
posed chief forester. not guilty OF in
sUbordination when he disclosed certain
facts Of the CLAWS case in a letter 10
Senator Dollver. but was acting with
the full sanction Of his immediate chief,
Secretary James Wilson, of the Depart
ment of Agriculture.
In terms that leave nothing to the
ina gination, Mr.. WooIIev charges that
Secretary Wilson not only countenanced
Pinchots course in upholding charges
against Secretary Of the Interior Bal
linger. but that Secretary Wilson. when
questioned by President Taft as to his
letter-the letter which caused the dis
missal Of the chief fOrester-denied all
knowledge Of it, and left Pinchot to
hold the bag.
For friendships Sake.
This. according to Mr.. wOoHey's story,
PinchOt did i'm silence. and for the sake
.of the long-eX!sting friendship between
him and his former chief, bore without
a murmur the whole brunt OF the crit
icism that was Ieveled against him for
his alleged inSubordination.
When he was shown the Van NOrden
article this morning Secretary Wilson
read il carefully. As he read he muir
INJURED, "Pinchot will not say that" and
again, "PinchOt did not inspire this"
When he mad finished ne said.
You may say that I have nothing TO
say unless Mr.. PinChOt has something
10 say IT he has anything 20 say. then
l will have nothing to say"
Furlher than this utteranCe the vet
cran Cabinet officer would not 60 But
Z 1rfn tod
charges contained in the WooIley arti-
Gle.
Says Wilson Sanctioned.
In this article. MI WooHey Saws:
Here is the truth about the dis
missal OF Pinchot: a few months prev
ioUs to the crisis IL the Bailinger-Pin-
chot controversy. President Taft issued
an order that no Information be given
to Senators or members Of the House
OF Representatives oy any bureau or
division chief except upon the order o.
! the hRad Of his department Accord
,nS, when senator DOllVeT called on
I by Chief Forester for a statement in
reply 10 charge that his bureau had
oeen guilty Of conducting a prOpa ganda
Intended 20 5itscredit the head Of the
| Department Of the Interior and GER
/ tain of his SubOrGinates. contained in
a letter 10 Senator Jones. of Washing
ton, from Secretary Ballinger, Mr..
1 Pinchot refused TO comply until he had
| conferred with his superior, Secretary
/ Of Agriculture Wilson. Tnereupon he
! called on Mr. Wilson, recited what he
/ expected to write 10 Senator DOlliver,
/ and was told 70 go ahead.
'You'n not have any trouble with
me on that score the Secretary is re-
ported TO lsve said
Quotes From Letter.
MI Woolley then quotes from Pin
/ choUs letter to Dolliver. in which
/ the then Chief Forester criticised Sec
retary Ballinger. and said President
4 Taft had been misled regarding CLAWS
and also from the Presidents letter Of
! dismissal 10 PinchOt. in which the Chief
! Executive wrote that he was dismiSSinG
| Pinchot iCr Sasubordination in making
public without Secretary Wilson's au-
! thoriz!ty matters. he. the President
had ordered kept quiet
I Taking up the question Of the confer
! ence which Mr.. WOOlley IS occurred
! between Wilson and PinchOt before the
latter wrote the Dolliver letter, Mr.,
/ WOOlley adds.
Then there was a night session Of the
I Cabinet. President Taft was angry
! clear through. Secretary Wilson was
/ iuterrogated. to he more exact. he was
/ grilled. II was the unanimous opinion
/ Of the President and all other members
of the Cabinet. that Messrs. PinchOt
Z Price and Shaw should be discha rged
I forthwith. Mr. Wilson cOHcurred.
Friends Many Years.
Nearly twelve years OF association
innumerable condolences which neces-
. sarily brought them very close 10 each
I other. and the Secretary Of Agricul-
/ lures well-known attitude toward con
| servation. combined to strengthen Mr.
| Pinchot in the belief that the eiGeriy
| gentleman from Iowa would stick BY
/ him in such a crisis.
! Describing PinchOts attitude after MS
dismissal. Mr.. WoOlley wrote:
| ION all hands PinchOt was besought
20 make a clean breast of the whole
affair. On the contrary, he was at his
desk bright md early. cleared up al
unfinished business, and at noon that
dav he bade farewell 10 his STAFF. Not
a word Of bitterness did he speak OF his
erStWhile chief"