The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1910-01-27
CLAWS CHARGES
MUST Be MADE
VERY SPECIFIC
The Committee Demands That
CONGRATULATIONS Be Reduced
to Positive Statements
BAll|NGER BECAME ATTORNEY
FOR COMPANY AFTER RESIGNATION

Fur COMPANY AFTER RESIGNATION
Principal Charge Is That He Used
His knowledge Obtained as Commits.
sfoner Of the Land Office In Ad.
yancing Clients Interests.
Washington. Jan. 27.-Just what
the charges are that Louis r. CLAWS
upholds against Richard A. Ballinger,
secretary of the interior, were finally
made clear to the congressional in
vestigating committee before it's first
session adjourned yesterday after
noon. Louis ID. Brandeis of Boston,
special counsel for CLAWS, informed
the committee upon it's insistence of
the specific nature of the allegations.
though maintaining that it was not
any one act. but series of acts and
circumstances upon which charges
were based. Particularizing, Brandeis
said that Mr.. Ballinger had acted as
an attorney in drawing up an agree
ment in escrow and deeds in the Will
son Coal company cases in Lewis
county. Washington, these cases be-
ing an alleged fraud. upon the land
laws, this being before Ballihger en-
tered the government service and his
name not appearing in the court rec
ords of the case. CLAWS was before
the committee, and both he and his
attorneys were closely questioned by
its members.
Mr.. Brandeis said that Claws at
tention was first called to the fraudu-
lent coal land claims when CLAWS
was in Seattle as chief of field divis-
ion in 1907. Ballinger at that time
was commission of the land. Office
CLAWS heard that number of2)rom-
inent people in Seattle were inter-
,ested in the fraudulent claims in
Alaska. CLAWS met Special Agent
Jones of the land office who was on
the way to Alaska to investigate the
Alaska claims.
When Jones, after preliminary
,, investigation returned to Seattle in
August, 1907, he was directed to re-
port at once to Commissioner Bal
linger, who was tn Seattle at the time.
I'VE claim,'' said Mr.. Brandeis,
that Commissioner Ballinger there
upon modified the orders which had
been given to Jones by Assistant
Commissioner bennett to make full
and thorough investigation to max
ing only part investigation taking
only one or two affidavits in each
group, instead of fully covering the
matter. Mr.. Ballinger also stated
that If patents could not be granted
on the lands as matters stood, relief
would be required of congress-
Jones had been sent to Alaska be-
cause Special Agent Love of the de-
partment, who had jurisdiction, lived
in Alaska and was more or less close
ly identified with the claimants. Love,
however, aided Jones in the work.
Many Conferences.
There were repeated conferences
in Seattle between Jones and Ballin-
ger and various directions were given
by Ballinger both to Jones and to
Love. There was full discussion as
to the rights. legality and fraud Of
the Alaska claims"
Mr.. Brandeis then went more briefly
into the CLAWS charges against Sec
retary Ballinger as presented to
President Taft and acted upon by the
president. The speaker said that
recommendations by CLAWS and Jones
in the Alaska case were not acted
upon by Commissioner Ballinger.
CLAWS sought an affidavit from a man
named Davis. The latter said that
he had talked the matter over with
Ballinger, and had been told not to
make any statement-to wait until
charges had been filed by the govern
ment.
After. this. CLAWS came to Washing
ton and argued with the land Office
as to the danger of scandal in the
Alaska cases. He was then directed
to proceed with full investigation.
Soon after he left Washington, how
ever, Ex-Governor Miles C.. Moore
came here to see Mr.. Ballinger-to
see whether the claims could not be
hurried to patent.
Senator Nelson charged the attor-
ney with Withholding the fact that
Moore was referred to the assistant
secretary of the interior. as he bal
linger) had had to do with the claims.
Mr.. Brandeis said Senator Nelson
was mistaken. and was thinking Of
Ballinger's action in May, 1909. as
secretary of the interior and that
Brandeis was speaking of Ballingers
action as commissioner of the land
Office in 1907.
"It appears first" said Mr.. Bran
deis. that Mr.. Ballinger. while CON-
missioner of the land Office. took an
active part in the controversy and
investigation. which arose as to the
validity of the Alaska coal lands. and
by ordering some of the claims to
patent. acquired knowledge of im-
portance. He personally acted and
took part in the action of the depart
ment relating to the investigation of
these claims which we assert were
fraudulent.
Ballinger's Actions.
This having been the case-when
he ceased to be commissioner. he
took the position as counsel for some
of these claimants"
Senator Sutherland of Utah inter-
rupted: You do not claim that Bal
linger acted corruptly as commits
sioner, but that he made improper
use Of the Information which he had
obtained?"