The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-03-02
FIERY SESSION Of
bA[L|NGER CASE
Clash Between PinchOt and Sec
retary Wilson Develops
Some Sensation.
LETTER To D0LLIVER Is
STORM CENTER OF THE DAY
Question of Yeracity Between
the Two Witnesses Is Di-
rectIy Raised.

WASHINGTON. March 1.-The ex.
pected clash between Clifford Piuchot
aud Secretary of Agriculture Wilson
over the disputed question as 10 whether
the secretary had given the former
forester permission to write to Senator
DoIlivcr the letter which resulted IN
Mr. Pincbot S dismissal came today be-
fore the Ballinger- Pinchot Investigating
| committee
Mr.. Pinchot declared be had discussed
the matter at length with Secretary
! Wilson. and that be understood his SUI
! perior officer bad given him express
! permission 10 write 10 Senator Dol
| liver.
Qualified Permission.
Secretary Wilson immediately took
the stand and asserted that while he
had given Mr.. Pinchot permission to
write to Senator Dolliver concerning
- departmental affairs he never did
and never would have given him per-
mission 10 write a letter critlcising tho
president Of The United States.
| Under cross-cNaminatlon. almost who'll
! ly by the Democratic members of the
committee. Secretary Wilson was uncer-
tain as TO just what had passed be-
| tween himself and the forester and
became somewhat mixed a TO INST what
letters the committee men referred IN
their rapid fire of questions: The sec
retary repeatedly said lie never saw
or heard of The letter Mr.. Pinchot wrote
until it was read in the senate.
Mr.. Pinchot declared that he and
Secretary Wilson went so far as 10
dscuss the executive order issued by
President Taft forbidding subordiuates
of the various departments TO give IN
formation TO congress. and added that
the secretary said
"Nou and | will have no trouble
about that order.
Could Not Always Remember,
Admitting that his memory failed
him as TO certain points, Secretary VIII
sou always came back 10 the state
mcut that ne never. under any clrcuIn-
stances. would have given Mr. Pinchot
permission TO write the letter that
caused his retirement from the service.
The secretary said he urged Mr. Pm
cbot nor TO carry out his purpose 10
blanket n message from the Presl-
dent exoncrsting Ballinger, by sending
iu i letter TO Senator DolliVcT.
=" But. persisted counsel FOR Mr..
Piuchot ''if Mr.. Pincho, WAS only 10
be permitted TO write about depart
mental matters. how could YOU have
Thought this letter would blanket The
president s message ~
81 don I know that WAS Pincnot
idea replied Mr.. Wilson.
Denies Any Resentment.
MIR. Piuchot denied That he had heen
cmbittered BY dismissal, which he
considered justified He denied. also,
that there was a specific movement to
dlscrcdit Mr.. Balliugcr. He added,
however that he aud Former Secretary
Garfield, CLAWS and others are con-
ccrned IN movement for the conSer-
vation Of natural resources and that
they regard Mr.. Ballnger as one of the
greatest enemies of that movement.
There was 4 surprising developments
today in the BaIInger-Pi Pinchot investi
CATION when Clifford Piuchot announced
10 the committee that he based his
charge that Secretary Balliugcr had
been guilty of making statements 10
the president that were absolutely false
in three essential particulars, not upon
q letter from Mr.. BallipgeJ himself,
but upon Il letter written by j. T. Ron
aid. a former law partner of Mr.. Bal
lingcr, 10 DIR, Lyman Abbott
Conflict Unexplained,
Mr. Pipcbot said i copy of This let
ter, with notation. was forwarded by
Mr. BalliDgor 20 the president.
He admitted that the three state
mcnis in the RouaId letter which he
clajmed TO lee false, had previously been
covered by 3 letter written by Mr.
BallinCer himself to the president, IN
which Ballinger had stated what the
witness admitted was true statement
Of the facts.
Mr.. Pinchot said he did not attempt
10 reconcile these two facts
Before this development the interest
Of the morning session had conferred IN
! the announcement by Mr.. Plpchot thaJ
he would not press for a decision Us TO
whether or not he should he allowed to
give his version of the conversations
with President Taft and the introdnc'
tion in evidence by Pinchot of long
letter written y 10 hlm bv President
TAFT in September last lu this letter
the president denounced CLAWS as als-
Ingenious. warned Mr.. Pincbot against
making CLAWS cause his own, declared
he was sorry Mr.. Pinchot did not have
! tho same confidence and trust III Mr.
Eallingcr as he did. and lastly declared
that ogt"oYcrses between the depart
mcuts in Washington must cease.
lie referred In this particular 20 an
alleged interview With Osmsby McHarg,
former assistant secretary OF commerce
aud labor. in which Mr.. Mcuarg was re-
! ported 10 have said that Theodore
! Roosevelt 'must have thought himself
! the Lord.
The Detailed Story.
| When tbe Fnchot BalliDGer committee
| OF inquiry met today In the scuate Of
! fec building there was pending the cues
! chot the witness Oh the stand, should
he allowed 20 give his version Of con
| vcrsatlons had with President TAFT.
! Counsel foy Mr.. PHchoi finally said he
! would not press for ruling and the
matter WAS dropped.
Mr. Ncrtrccs. counsel for Mr., BollinSer;
| suggested that rullnS should be had
~ To whether or not Nh. Plnchot. ana
probably other witnesses, should be al
lowed To "epcat conversations with tho
president. az. Ncrtvees said there was
no objection so the Introduction IN evi-
dence o; letters written to OF by the
president, bUt hp contcndcd that II the
committee permitted witnesses to give
their version OF conversations at the
white hoUSc IT would put 1he president
IN the cmba rraSsnE attitude OF either