The Hawaiian gazette., 1910-05-31
By Ernest @. walker.

(Mal special TO Ihe AdNerusor)
WASHINGTON, May 1.-THE fires
seemed to be dying down in that Bal
linger-Pinchot volcano, but there has
come a sudden eruption. Again it has
been demonstrated that the Ballinger
Pinchot episode is the Etna of the Rd.
ministration. Washington is once more
stirred by its activities.
This time it was the confession Of a
stenographer in the office of Secretary
of the Interior Richard Achilles Bal
linger. Frederick NJ. Kerby, a con
scientious young man, told his mother,
conscientious woman, somo days ago
that Oscar LAWYER, assistant attorney
general, assigned to duties as the law
officer of the department of the .inte-
rior, had been commissioner to write
the famous letter of exoneraton. 1t
Preyed upon the young mans mind
that he should know that fact, when
Attorney L. Il. Brandeis, of Boston,
who is representing former Special
Agent CLAWS before the joint congress
sional committee, was seeking in vain
to obtain the papers from the depart
mcnts of Justice and of the interior.
His mother told him to make clean
breast OF it. The young man did. He
undoubtedly caused commotiou and
viii undoubtedly lose the job, which
he needs for the support of himself
and his little family. 1t has undoubt-
edly caused the administration, includ-
ing especially President Taft, Attor-
ney-General Wickersham and Secretary
Ballinger, fresh embarrassment. For
all Washington is throbbing with com
ment. There is difficulty to prevent
the country from gathering an unfavur.
able impression.
1t is hardly more than fair to say
that the knowledge which young Kerby
had was not of tremendous Importance,
but for the fact that there have been
tremendous efforts to keep it from the
public. The facts were, as the Presi-
dent fastened to explain in letter to
Senator Knute Nelson. chairman of the
joint congressional committee, that
Oscar Lawler was commissioner by him
to write the letter which was expected
to be the letter generating Secretary
Ballinger of any fault in connection
with the Cunningham coal claims cases
IN Alaska. 20
When former Special Agent CLAWS
made charges against the secretary, tho
President asked the secretary and Other
officials implicated for their replies
Secretary Ballingef and Attorney
Lawler conveyed those replies to the
President at Beverly. There was an
evenings conference over the papers
Then the President delved into the re-
plies on his own account and the fol-
lowing evening there YVES another con
ference with Secretary Ballinger and
Attorney Lawler. The President in
formed them he had concluded "there
was nothing in the charges upon which
Mr.. Ballinger or the others accused
could be found guilty of either incom
lpetency, ineficiency, disloyalty to tEf
interests of the government or dishon
esty.'' Then he directed Mr.. Lawlel
to prepare a letter, after returning to
Washington, embodying the President I
views about the case Gas if he Claw
ler) were President"
Young and Bumptious.
This, Lawler, a young and rather
tumptious young man from Los Ange
les, California, attempted tc do. Tbs
President, as he explained in hs let
ter TO Senator Nelson, was at that time
i very busy. He was about to start 81
a two months trahscontiuental tout
and had six or seven speeches to pre-
pare during the period of two week!
before his special train left Boston
However, Lawler did not write the kline
If letter the President wanted. "I
contained references to the evidenct
which were useful, but its criticism o.
Mr.. Pinchot and Mr.. Claws" tn,
President did not think sit proper o.
wise to adopt"
In the meantime the President hai
asked Attorney.General Wickersham Il
review the CLAWS charges. He dit
not tell the attorney-general what con
clusion he (the Presidency had reached
concerning them. And in due season
Mr.. Wickersham returned to Beverl,
with an opinion much in accord witt
that of the President. The letter ex
onarating Secretary Ballinger was die
tated by the President from his owl
conclusions, but were based somewha
upon the Lawler memorandum an,
upon the statements which the attorney
general made to him. He FUSED a fey
paragraphs from it 1.-THE Lawler memo
randuml containing merely genera
statements. f"
No End of Gossip.
But tbs manner in which all thes
facts were forced before the public ha
caused no end of gossip, It appear
that StenOgrapher Kerby, who was ON
'of the men to whom the busy Mr.. Law
I Ter, with much mental perturbation an
much tearing up of copy and much try
ing again, dictated his memorandum
told Attorney Brandeis quite a Ion
Q time ago what had happened. Accord
a ingly Attorney Brandeis, who has bee
r handled pretty roughly by the Repul
Leans of the joint congressional con