Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-01-08
LETTER TO IOWAN
HELD SLAP ATTAFT
FoREsTER's DEFENSE OF CLAWS
IN COMMUNICATION READ BY
SENATOR DoLLlvER sTlRs up
OFFICIAL WASHINGTON,


cabinet session began there was every
indication that the measure of punish
ment to be meter out to Government
FORESTER Pinchot was to be the chief
subject OF discussion by the president
with his advisers. The Pnchot letter
to Senator Dolliver which was read
IN the senate yesterday, and which
constitutes a direct violation of the ex-
ecutive order forbidding subordinates
from furnishing information to con-
gress except through the head of the
department, was before the cabinet A
number of congressman discussed the
incident with the president prior to
the cabinet session. The impression
was that the matter might be disposed
Iof at this time by the president sus-
pending Pinchot, Price and Shaw pend.
Ing the decision of the congressional
committee about to investigate the
Ballinger-Pinchot controversy Among
some of the callers, however, there
was an idea that the president would
dismiss Pinchot forthwith
| The cabinet session, 1t Is said was
devoted entirely to the discussion oi
Pinchot's letter, but no member would
4 say what disciplinary measures had
been decided upon.
The Pinchot Letter
| The Ballinger-Pincho storm broke
in the senate yesterday, when Pin.
chot's letter criticising President Taft
for the dismissal of Louis r. CLAWS
! from the United States land Office was
read.
! The letter came like a thunderboIt,
at once bringing to the front the polit.
1 ical clash between the Roosevelt and
TAFT forces, which promises to be
memorable, for behind 1t all Is plainly
seen the first gun in the "back from
Elba" movement.
/ A hurried cabinet meeting and
broad intimation that Pinchot was
likely to lose his official head were
among the developments that followed
the reading of the letter in the senate,
President Calls Cabinet.
i AS soon as President Taft heard thai
| PinchOt had sent such a letter and
that it was read in the senate, he sent
a hurry call to all the members of his
cabinet for a conference on the sub
ject. The president at once perceived
the far-reaching effects of the letter
and decided to take quick action.
1 Secretary Of State Knox, Secretary
vi thS llSuouiy MhCSGdSl, AIIUTu6y
General Wickersham and Secretary OF
Agriculture Wilson soon put in an ap.
pearance at the White house and a
long conference at once began.
Plnchot as an "Ajax."
Pinchot'a action in sending an off
cial communication to the chairman of
a congressional committee was freely
discussed, although none OF the cabi.
net officers who participated in the
conference would discuss their call to
the White house in any way.
President Taft some time ago issued
an order that no subordinate In any
: government department should disclose
any information to congress except
through the head Of the department.
Inasmuch as Mr.. Pinchot's letter de.
scribes CLAWS as 'the most vigorous
defender of the peoples interests" do
spite the fact that President Taft had
declared "Glavis unfit longer to re-
! main in the public service" the direct
j slap at the president and the further
declaration by Mr.. Pinchot that the
Cunningham coal lands really were
about to go to fraudulent claimants un.
' til CLAWS and the forestry bureau Off.
3 cials took a hand In the fight, aroused
q hlL W kGen IGocHlluGut. u.
The president Is said to have felt for
! some time that Mr.. Pinchot has been
"defying the lightning" Some action
4 as to Mr.. Pinchot's course in the let.
ter incident is not unexpected.
: Taft Mlslead, Says Pinchot.
The chief forester not only upheld
!, the criticisms against Secretary Bal,
I linger, but suggested that the presi.
dent himself had been mistaken in the
facts when he removed Mr. CLAWS from
! the public service.
! Mr.. Pinchot's letter called Senator
$ Hale to his feet with severe rebuke
8 to the chief forester for having ignor.
!, ed a recent order by the president di.
L Erecting that no subordinate officer
q should give information concerning af.
n fairs Of the government except to his
: superior officers. He also suggested
d that the adoption of this course tended
g to forestall and prejudice public opin.
n ion in relation to the Ballinger-P Pinehns
controversy.