The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-02-06
BALLINGER PAPEES
ARE CONSIDERED
Ballinger PinchOt PrOberS
Hold Stormy Session.
WORDS HEARD IN CORRIDORS
Open Session Follows Meeting, and
documents Are Inspected by At
tOFneys in Presence of CIerk-COm-
mfttee to Determine Whether
CLAWS Shall BE Further Examined.

a hurried meeting of the jonJ commit
tee Of Congress investigating the Bal
linger-Pinch0t controversy was held yes
terday morning to consider certain i'm
pOrtant documents sent by the Secretary
Of the Interior late Friday afternoon 10
Senator Nelson chairman Of the joint
committee The documents came after
the committee made a peremptory de
mand for them through a messenger
sent to the department by Chairman Mel
son.
The committee had considered in ex-
ecutive session Friday morning the fail
ure Of the Secretary of the Interior to
respond promptly 10 the request for the
documents not included in the batch sent
10 Congress by the President,
Louis r. Brandeis, attorney for CLAWS.
had asserted that these We're necessary 10
his case, and CLAWS himself had charged
that documents had been suppressed or
kept from President Taft which had an
important bearing on the case The at
torney renewed his complaint against the
apparent dilatory action of the Interior
Department at the meeting yesterday,
which resulted in sending a personal mes
senger to Secretary Ballinger for such Of
the missing documents as We're available.
Shocks Chairman Nelson.
These arrived at the committee room at
o'clock Friday afternoon. When Chair
man Nelson picked up the package he re-
ceived an electric shock. Mr.. Nelson hur-
riedly conferred with some or his asso-
Ciates in the committee and called an ex-
ecutive committee for yesterday. The
meeting, behind closed doors, lasted more
than an hour At times the arguments
were so loud they were heard in the cor
r1dOrs OF the Senate Office building.
Following the executive meeting, an
open session was held and announcement
made that the attorneys would be per
mitted to inspect the papers only in the
presence Of the clerk of the committee;
that no copies should be made OF them,
and only such Of them made public as
the attorneys demanded. and the joint
committee approved. Meanwhile, the
attorneys viii be put on their profess
sional honor not 10 divulge the contents
Of any of them The clerk of the COM
mittee, Paul Slemau, was by resolution
given personal custody Of the documents,
and put on his oath not To divulge them.
He was directed to make complete
schedule of them before allowing the
attorneys To inspect.
John J. Vertrees, of Nashville. Tenn.
leading counsel for Secretary BalUnger,
was introduced and recognized for the
future hearings; also a like recognition
was made of Carl Rasch. Of Montana, as
associate counsel for BalIinger
Attorney Smyth Retained.
Clifford Pinchot announced that he had
retained the services of Nathan ~
Smythe, of New York, to assist George
Wharton Pepper. of Philadelphia, in the
conduct OF his case.
The joint committee adjourned until
Friday, at which time e viii De deter
mined whether CLAWS shall be further
cross-examined or whether Clifford Pin
chot's story shall be heard. Louis D.
BTandeis, attorney for CLAWS. stated that
he was compelled to be at Springfield. H.,
In a few days to appear in an important
suit before the illinois Supreme Court
The committee decided to continue Gla-
Wis. provided his attorney could be here;
otherwise to proceed with taking Pin
chots testimony, emitting all reference to
CLAWS or the Alaska coal cases I'm the
examination, during the absence Of Mr..
Brandeis.
Clifford Pinchot, In brief statement.
told the committee that his testimony
will relate simply to my work in the lire
Of conservation and my relations to the
Interior Department in that work. Il in
wolves many questions / will be ready
TO proceed at any time that it suits the
convenience Of the joint committee 10
hear me,
Secretary Ballinger appeared before the
House Committee on Ways and Means to
urge that favorable action be taken on
Peresldent Taft's recommendation that
an issue OF 100000 OF certificates Of in
debtedness be authorized in order that
irrigation projects now under way and
projected by the government might be
carried forward
Indications are that bin providing for
these certificates will be reported favor