The Washington times., 1910-02-26

letter continues. The reason afterwards
given was that the Comptroller OF the
Treasury had declared the agreement
illegal. while the fact was, PinchOt
said, that the Comptroller never passed
upon TIE question. He said the letter
terminating the agreement made no
mention os any ruling Of the Comp
troller
Balling,r's unfriendIy attitude toward
the reclamation service, Pinchot
charged, would, II continued, disinte-
crate that service
Would Not Change
when I saw you in Salt Lake City
in September" Pinchot says in his let
ter. little mention was made OF the
CLAWS matter. but We discussed the re-
cent relations Of the Interior Depart
ment TO conservation al some length.
/ expressed the belief that you had been
mislnlorm5d as 10 certain Of these re
ETiOns, and nv fear that later on.
VIXEN the present intense public stten-
lou had sUbsided. unwise tendencies
might reapDear. and the public inter
est might suffer ] said also that while
I should not resign my course otherwise
was still undetermined. and ! might md
II necessary 20 make public my opinion
as u these relations. even II il should
involve my official position"
The above paragraph iE especially in
tereSting IN view OF the fact that later
iinChot sent his now famous letter TO
Senator Dolliyer in which he attacked
Secretary BdliinEeT. and which preCip-
itated his dismissal al the hands Of
President Taft
Further along. after citing various
activities construed by Pinchot as In
imiCal 10 the public interest, the writer
says OF Secretary Rallinger.
Actively Hostile"
These examples leave no douot in
nay mind that Secretary Rallinger has
shown himself actively hostile 10 the
conserN alton policies. Bat whether or
not they are sufficient % esta bIish the
fact of active hostility. beyond n rea-
sonable doubt as believe tnev do. IS
not the whole question. Under our form
Of government the Secret -'y u tine In
terror is more directly ., ,pousib;e for
conserving the natural re-ourceq than
any other public officer.
Unless he is vigorously friendly 10 the
conservation policies and prompt 10 de-
iend our natural resources against the
unendlnS agrees ION Of private inte.-
ests, the public interest must suffer II
ne does not defend it in certain mat
teIs, no one else can In these mat
4
ulity in its final results"
The Letter concludes
The effect OF Secretary Ballinger' IS
acton On the instances cited was ac-
iNeiy harmful 10 the public interest iu
the most CTIJCdl and far-TeaCliuE Brob-
lem this nation has faced since the civil
war Both because OF his attitude. and
Oi what he did. I am forced 10 regarG
nim as the most effective opponent the
conservation policies have vet had"
faF
Louls CLAWS has entered into a Dart-
rership 10 obtain timber lands iu Wash
lngtOn state, was recalled 10 The witness
stand when the Baliinger-PinchOt in
NeStigatiOn was resumed TO-DAY
In reply TO questions b. J. J. Yer
trees, counsel for Secretary PaIlinger.
barr said he learned nOtLs"S about the
timber lands from CLAWS until after
Claws had left the Government serv-
ice. Barr volunteered the iuforYustfo7
that lie had telegraphed his Office for
a copy OF the agreement between him
self and CLAWS relating 70 these tim
Der lands. i Will be submitted 10 the
committee as soon as # arrives in
Washington.
Special Agent An6 rev Kennedy. the
coal expert, who also testified yester-
day, was recalled 10 the stand TODAY.
He read several letters sent TO him
prior TO his field examination nf the
Cunningham claims. His exau1iDa riou
new in connection With the inveStiga-
ton, aitnough II referred to CLAWS de-
sire TO go into business.
When he began his redirect exarnIna-
tiOn OF Kennedy, Mr.. Brandeis showed
considerable feeling i'm referring 10
questions asked the witness yesterday
by Chairman Nelson His olestioUs
were framed In such a ma nner and pro-
pounded TO the witness with such EN-
Dhasis that they sounded very much
like criticism OF the chairman. Nr
Nelson looked AT Mr.. Brandies with a
characteristic twinkle in his eve and
said quietly;
Counsel can sit down while asking
questions"
Brandeis' reference to the cbsf-D,a n 9
questions had 10 do with Ire letter Of
instructions given to Kennedy. regard
ing G. Wingate. Of the Forestry Bu-
reau, who also intended 10 make a field
examination Of the coal claims Ken
nedy said he did not COnstFue this let
ter as an order that he mus agree with
the conclusions reached by Wingate. b,t
expressed a desire for a report on Wnicb
both could agree.
Kennedy testified that at the reouesr
OF CLAWS. he asked Christensen. WIN
succeeded CLAWS, for a receipt for the
papers in the Office. He said Chrfsren-
sen gave him the receipt. and ne mailed
Il TO CLAWS, who had left town in the
meantime.