Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-05-13
CLAVISSUMMARY ANTEDATEL
Attorney General Wickersham Writes
Note Explaining Record.
NO MYSTERY AT ALL ABOUT IT
Document Made Jp Later, but IL
Bears Date at which the PreSi-
dent Considered subject
Matter.

or the CLAWS charges which he prepared
for the president and on which the latter
was supposed to have based his letter eN-
onerating Secretary Ballinger and dismiss
Ing CLAWS, was prepared after the date it
bore.
In a letter dated May TO- addressed to
Chairman Parker OF the hoEA judiciary
committee, which had the Harrison resolu.
ton calling on the attorney general FOR
all Information bearing on the summo h
Mr.. Wickersham wrote as follows:
This summary necessarily was made up
afterward and properly bore the date on
which the matter 1t contained was consld-
cred by the president. There is no mys-
terry about this matter and nothing which
may not be freely stated, but due regard
for the constitutional authority for the
executive forbds that the action OF the
president and his advisers shall be caleR
into question by the coordinate branch -
the government in this manner"
Secretary Ballinger read the letter from
the stand during the Ballnger- Pinchot
Investigation this afternoon, just after At
torney Brandeis counsel for l.. r. CLAWS,
had protested to the committee that the
attorney general had not furnished all OF
the documents called for.
Reason for Protest.
This protest was called forth by the re-
ply of oscar Lawlor. assistant attorney
general for the Interior department, to Mr..
Brandes requlst for the memorandum,
which he had prepared for the president in
connection with the letter of generation.
Mr.. Lawor wrote the committee that he
had prepared such a memorandum at the
presidents request. but had turned 1t over
to the attorney general and had not thouyV
1t proper to retain a copy Of it.
After reading the letter Mr.. Brandes
said he believed his request to the attor-
neey general for all documents in his pos
session bearing on the CLAWS charges
covered that memorandum, but that It had
not been furnished
Mr. Brandeis hoped to show by the
memorandum that the presidents action
had been based on Mr. Iawlor's review
of the case and not on careful Weighing
of the faas by either himself or by the
attorney general.
Secretary Ballin,S,r interrupted the at
torney to state that he knew Of his oWr
knowledge that Mr.. Lawlor had met Mr.
Wickersham in New York a few days PRIOR
to the preparation of the presidents lstter
He then produced the attorney gencrarG
letter.
VIII Call Wickcrsbam.
Attorney General Wickersham probably
will be called a witness by the commit
tee. Mr. Brandels said today that he would
like to have him called to relate the de-
tails of the interview which Henry NJ
Hoyt, former attorney general of Porto
Rico had with him about the reviewing of
theVSlavis charges.
AtTorppN Nertreag cnrpg,I Co, Al,
llnger, said he had no objection TO Mr.
Wickersham being called.
THAT man Hoyt" as Mr., Ballingcr re-
ferred to him, testified before the commit
tee how he had interested Mr.. Wickersham
! In the Alaskan coal cases after CLAWS had
| decided to take the matter over his su.
! periors head. The secretary said Mi. Huyt
/ greatly exaggerated the circumstances OF
| that meeting and Nj Brandcs thought
| that inasmuCh as the veracity of one of
his witnesses had been impeachcd he had
a right to call Mr.. Wickcrsham,
Committee Irgcs HHstc.
Mr., Brandeis practically concluded his
| cross-eXaminaton of Secretary BallilKer
this morning and this afternoon Attorney
! Pepper, counsel for clifford Pinchot, took
him in hand. Mr.. BdIlingor appealed to
! the committee to excuse him as soon as
| possible, as he had many important matters
awaiting his attention at the department
I'VE are entirely at the mercy OF the
counsel" replied Chairman Nelson
we have been here forty days now"
added Senator Root, land IT is time the
children Of Israel were finding their way
out Of the wilderness"
Mr. Brandeis replied that he had not oo-
cupted nearly so much time with Mr.. Bal
linger as Mr.. Vertrees had taken in cross
examining CLAWS.
! Three members OF the presidents CABINET
attended the investigation today. Besides
Mr.. Ballinger there were present Secretary
of the Treasury McVeagh and Secretary Of
War Dickinson, who occupied front seats
among the spectators.
Pepper Questions BnIIinger.
Attorney Pepper began his cross-exam.u-
alton of Mr.. Ballinger by questioning him
about his views on conservation as com
pared with those of former Forester Pin
chot
He asked the secretary about his state
ment on direct examination that there has
been reversal of the forestry policy since
the retirement Of Mr.. Pinchot, showing
him circular sent out by The bureau
during the present year in which it was
stated that the policy now being followed
mary years.
Mr.. Balllnger modified his original state
ment TO the extent that he meant that the
forestry bureau had accomplished some
practical good since Secretary Of Ag icul-
ture Wilson had begun taking a more ac-
tive interest in the work.
Charge Against Davis.
Secretary BallnPcr, on cross-eXamination
today made public kilograms between him
self and 4. =. Davis chief engineer OF In e
reclamation service, showing that Davis IS
now receiving pay from a private concern
for the examination Of an irrigation proisc.
in Mexico and at The same time accepting
government compensation, Mr. BallInger
denies = statement by Davis that ne had
authority from the secretary to undertak,
private work Davis was an anti Balinpc
witness in thS, Ballinger-Pnchot invest %
ton. x
what Everybody Wants.
Everybody desires gooc health, whiW IL