Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-01-30
BALLNGER CALLED HIM OFF
Secretary Told Him Not to Look Into
Holding of Californian.
LATTER ATTORNEY FOR KNKAD
Service Was Between Time He Was
Commissioner and Secretary.
MANY LETTERS ARE READ
Days Attack Centers Largely on
Land CommissiOner bennett
UnfriendIy 60 the
Forestry

WASHINGTON, Jan. 29.--Louis r. CLAWS
concluded his testimony before the Bal.
llnger- Pinchot congressional investigation
committe late today. He will be recalled
at the resumption OF the hearing Monday
afternoon for cross examination by any Of
the persons against whom he has made
charges.
Claws last day on the stand was full Of
interest 1t developed the animus which
long has existed between the land office
and the forestry bureau and the resent
ment the land office people felt wher
CLAWS called in the forestry" as they
termed it.
The witness declared that Representative
McLachan of California and Representa-
tive Kinkaid of Nebraska were interested
in Alaskan claims and that Mr.. Ballinger,
after becommlng commissioner of the land
office, had acted as attorney for Mr.. Kin
kaid.
CLAWS asserted that Mr.. Bellinger had
suggested to him not to pursue an investl-
cation against Congressman McLachlan
saying there had been too much of that
sort OF thing in the past"
When towards the end of his testimony
CLAWS was asked the direct question II he
thought Secretary Balinger and Commits
soner of the Land Office bennett were in
league to do wrong in the Alaskan cases.
he replied: We'll; l thought the cases
would be better protected with them out of
the way"
Attack Centers on bennett.
CLAWS attack seemed to center more to-
day on Commissioner bennett. He said
he became convinced in the summer Of
1900 that "Dennett was crooked" and
took steps to secure carbon copies of let.
ters bennett was writing back to WASH
lngton. Several of these letters were in.
troduced in evidence
One was from Commissioner bennett tC
H H. Schwartz, chief of the field service.
1t was dated July 90 1909, at Seattle and
said among other things;
MY Dear Schwartz: The worst situation
on the line is the one l find here. Om
friend CLAWS 4" regarded me with sus'
picion. and after talking while showed
me your telegram assigning the coal casei
! to Sheridan Now / figure tha'
CLAWS is preparing to make cushion foI
himself to fall back on and also putting
himself in shape to have a great story IL
case Sheridan does not make good and sue.
ceed in cancelng the Cunningham caseS
While he looks innocently at me
yet / can sec that his heart is bad, though
why 1t should be 1 cannot tell except thai
he wanted to drag the cases out. He may
be sincere, of course, In his idea that he
has not been given time and opportunity
He asserts that he will help Sheridan al
he can, but 1t is not human nature, or al
least his human nature. The atmosphere
| is not good at all.
THAT he is playing the forestry there IL
no question, the innocent look he gave ms
when 1 told him he was dragging in Shaw,
etc. when there was no necessity. wai
beautiful. He has also talked CON
servation very strongly. CLAWS talking
conservation All round he is ugly and he
is preparing to be as unpleasant as he can
at least that is my solution of the situa-
ton. CLAWS processes the greatest friend
ship to you and 1 think you know him
better than any one else, and this is GER
tainly the worst situation we have. He will
make about forty favorable and 500 un-
favorable reports; the way things will COM
mence to drop will be amusing"
Second Letter from bennett.
In a second letter from bennett to
Schwartz dated Seattle, July 22, 1909, 90
ours this paragraph
"Glavis has these coal cases on the
brain and cannot see anything but Just one
line. l have told him how II looks to uA
and have reminded him OF everything that
we have done for him and that IL looks as
II he we're returning our favors by not
standing by us, as he ought to. He has
not acted as you or / would have acted
under similar condition. 1t ooks a little
treacherous TO me, this calling in the for
estry."
nectlon telegram from Schwartz TO Den
nett, dated Washington, July p:
Department has letter from secretary
of agriculture originating in forest service
asking postponement of the Cunningham
hearings until November, Shaw says
CLAWS wrote or wired him recently in mat
ter, Require CLAWS to show you copy OF
his letter 10 Shaw, it being necessary to
determine motive behind agriculture's re-
quest for such long delay"
CLAWS explained that he had asked Shaw
by telegram to come TO Seattle to CO.
operate with him ,on the Cunningham
claims as several OF them were In forest
reserves. This was how the forestry bureau
first came into the controversy officially.
Another letter was one from Secretary
Ballinger to Mr. Schwartz. dated Boise
Idaho, July 25, 1909, in which the secretary
Of the interior said among other things:
My Dear Mr.. Schwartz; ] am just ad-
vised by Commissioners bennett OF your
telegram In reference to the increase IN
the number OF special agents in the ex-
cepted class. desire that you in making
any Of these appointments In addition to
the president being consulted, Postmaster
General Hitchcock be also consulted. pro.
vided the appointees are not directly sug.
gested by the president"
Letter Causes a Laugh.
The last document read while CLAWS was
on the stand called out a great deal OF
laughter. II was a telegram from Mr.
Schwartz dated Washington, August r.
1909 at the time attacks were being made
upon Secretary Ballinger and others, and
was addressed TO NJ. b, MeEnerney. special
agent at Denver. IL read:
Get scareheads into Denver papers To-