Omaha daily bee., 1910-03-24
GOES TO ROOSEVELT
Deposed Chief Forester Quietly Slips
Away to Meet Ex-President.
INVITE OR NOT is QUESTION
Gossip Has IL that Conference WIN
he Held in Naples over Affair
and Outcome ArOuses
Interest.

WASHINGTON, March 2S.-washlngton
today woke up to the fact that clifford
Pinchot, whom President Taft recently
caused TO be deposed from the position Of
chief forester Of the United States, was
on the ocean, already four days out, on
the steamer president Grant" on the way
to meet ex-President Roosevelt, probably
at Naples. Mr.. Plnohot is due at Ham
burg next Monday; Colonel Roosevelt is
to arrive at Naples on the following Sat
urday.
The widely-current rumor here is that
Mr.. Pinchot goes to meet the returning
traveller in compliance with a summons
received by cable last Friday. Nobody In
a position TO know would confirm or deny
this part OF the story, but there Is no dts
position to deny that Mr.. Pinchot's princi-
pal GRAND abroad is to meet Mr.. RoOse-
welt.
Speculation Fixes Reasons.
It is to be taken for granted that the
ox-president will receive from the deposed
chief forester, with whom he was on
peculiarly intimate terms, his first direct
information bearing on the Ballinger-
Pinchot controversy from any OF the prin-
cipals in that dispute. 1t was rumored
here today that Senator Root, a member
Of the investigating committee and secre-
tary OF state in the Roosevelt cabinet, had
written to Mr.. Roosevelt at Khartum on
the subject.
Mr.. Pinchot's friends here scott at the
suggestion that he would quit the investi-
CATION Of the controversy in which he is
so deeply concerned on the eve of Secre-
tary Ballinger's going on the stand in
order to seek, unlimited, an interview with
the ex-president.
On the other hand, those who know Mr..
Roosevelt. says he is too good a politician
not to realize that to give Pinchot an I'M
sought hearing before he had had an OPP
portunity to discuss the matter with Pres
ident Taft or some member Of his political
family, would be generally regarded as q
direct slap at an administration he would
naturally feel bound to support.
Pinchot leaves Few Clues.
The only address Mr.. Pinchot left behind
him at his Washington residence was
Copenhagen and a largo number Of letters
and kilograms are being forwarded to him
there in care Of his sister. The former
forester's mother accompanied him to New
York, but remained there at the home OF
her other son, Amos r. Pinchot.
His private secretary remained behind
He also declared Mr.. Pinchot was simply
going abroad for rest. He said Mr.. Plnchot
was expected back about April 20, IN
which event the meeting would have tc
take place before Mr.. Roosevelt reaches
London, as he is not due there before May
16.
In former days no one was more welcome
or It might be added a more constant
visitor to the White house than Clifford
Pinchot. He became a member Of the now
famous tennis cabinet and to all appear.
ances Pinchot was the synonym for Pres.
ident Roosevelt's last word in conserva.
ton. When Mr.. Roosevelt retired he com.
mended Pinchot highly to President Taft
and It was not until the ex-president had
entered the jungle that evidences of dis
cord between Secretary Ballinger and For.
ester Pinchot came publicly to the sur
face.
OF the controversy which ensued, caus.
ing the president much Embarrassment and
engendering increasing bitterness between
the rival factions, Mr.. Roosevelt probably
knew little or nothing until he reached
Khartum, Egypt. Monday of last week.
There he doubtless learned from Amer.
lean newspaper correspondents that his
friend had been ousted from the govern.
ment service and OF the investigation
which has followed.