The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1910-04-28
DOCUMENTS DENIED
ATTORNEY BRANDEIS
Investigating Committee Re.
fuses TO Consider Charge
of Ante-dating Opinion.

The neutrality-suspicious. investigation
committee today voted TO suppress all
documentary evidence which would dis
close the truth OF faIsity OF the charge
that Attorney General Wickershs-n
anle-dated his letter regarding the
Claws charges Two months.
During the testimony last week it
was developed that Attorney General
Wickersham referred to subjects not
mentioned in the charges Claws hled
with the President but were made Dy
public in the CLAWS magazine aTlicleS
more than Two months after the opinion
is dated
Immediately following that testimony,
Ar BTandeIS asked that the Attorney
General produce not only al OF lne
original papers, but also TuTnlSn a iisl
Of those who had assisted him IN pre-
pairing his opinion, the dates on winch
they began -heir employment. and the
dates on which their employment ceaseC-
BY means OF such documentary eNl-
Gence, Mr. Brandeis could have proved
concLusively that the Attorney General $
opinion was antedsted, or on the other
hand counsel for Secretary BallinSer
could have proved that the opinion was
written on the date Indicated
The investigating committee al JUS
executive session this morning came 70
the conclusion that II was not oesiI "a pc
TO have these important Ptpers pro
duced-
Brandeis Request Denied
WHOM the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. investi-
eating committee met today Chairman
%elson announced that the committee
had voted To deny the request Of Louis
Rrandefs- counsel for Claws, calling
upon Attorney. General Wickevshan for
an original papers having TeiatloL
90 his opinion given 10 the President
ahsoIvinE Secretary Ballinger from the
Z ID. r.-
The committee was not unanimous IN
DENYING the Brandeis request Senators
/ Nelson. Flint, Sutherland, and Root and
: RepreSPutarIVeS Mccall ana Denny voted
10 deny IL Senators Purcell and Fletcher
! and REPRESENTATIVES James and era
Z rsrr0 Democrats voted 10 call upon the
] Attorney General for the papers
! The significance of the demand mace
Z by Attorney BrandeIs and its rejection
bE the committee Is that II CenrerS
I around the Attorney Generals opinion
{ already clearly indi-dt that II intends
3 20 prove that this opinion was aIJedated
1 and that President Taft did not have
Q II before him when he held BallinSef
Q bIamelesS and dismissed Claws from
Z the Government service
/ Wanted 10 Prove Theory
/ Mr.. Brandeis called for the originals
/ OF the Wickersham letters and opinions
3 because he believed that Trey would
. prove his theory that the opinion was
E not rendered until some time in De
J cember instead of on september Il. the
Z date which appears on the printed
document
Nj Brandeis protested because he had
not been given the privilege OF appear
inE before the committee before il
i voted en- his request
The matter has been disposed OF.
remarked Chairman Nelson. CURLY.
ct would be well 20 proceed with
the examination.
Nj Brandeis thereupOu announced
that he would make additional re-
quests In the hope Of getting the
original papers He regards these
papers Al Of the utmost importance
Thus far there has been do denial Of
the inference that the WiCkerShaU
opinion was antedated-
Smith Called Easy"
George Otis Smith. chief Of the Geo
logical Survey. resumed the witnes:
stand today Nj Vertrees asked the
witness If Clifford PinchOt had told
him on one occasion that Secretary
RaIIinEer was fOOlinE him (Smith)
= and that he fSmith} was easy
I Smith replied that PinChOt had
made such a statement, and that h'
imeudatious were being followed h
was not concerned about being
fooled, and would oven plead guilt
70 being easy
Senator Root asked Mr. Vertree
y / how much more time he would re
tqufre for the presentation Of his di
G rect testimony. and Mr. Vertrees re
a week, and certainly would do so pro
v5ded the crOss-eTaminatiUn were no
> tDTotTaCted-
M Smiths testimony was devote