The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-04-29
GETS HIS CHANGE
To KILL SNAKES
Secretary Ballinger Takes
Congressional Witness
Stand in Own Defence
REFUSES TO MAKE
ADVANCE STATEMENT
Says lie Won Follow in Foot
steps of Calumners Who
Won't Swear to Their
Statements.

WASHINGTON. d, C.. April 60
An opportunity to make good his
threat of last winter to kill some
snakes was presented to Richard A.
Balltnger. Secretary OF the Interior.
when he took the witness stand to-
day at the congressional investigations
OF charges made against him by l.. n.
CLAWS, former field agent of the Land
Office and clifford pinchot. the res
moved chief forester.
When asked IL he would have an
advance statement. such as Mr. Pin-
chot read from the stand. Ballinger
said
mo; ] will not follow In the foot.
steps of those who throw calumny On
government officers and then refuse
to swear to their Statements.
The hearing room was crowded ~
the doors. Il large percentage being
women. Attorney J. j. vertrees. chief
counsel for Baliinger. conducted hin
direct examination, and early In tho
questioning he established as basis
for the testimony the facts that Hal
finger served as commissioner Of this
~
1906. To March 2. 1907. and that hta
term as Secretary OF the Interior bo.
gan March 4. 1903.
+ Asks SUMMARY OF Charges.
Attorney Brandeis made a modified
request that the@ Attorney General -
requested TO produce drafts OF his
summary" of the Claws charges.
Yesterday the committee suppressed
this move. but Mr.. Brandeis to-day
declared the necessity of having these
papers was imperative before hin
cross examination of the secretary.
Chairman Nelson said the COMMITTEES
had decided to hear arguments latee
by counsel on both sides on the mat
ter. N
MIR. Baliinger sat. in tho wttnanC
chair apparently perfectly AZ se6Se ~
briefly outlined his public s1fvic91 II
the State OF Washington. He laid
particular stress on the anti-vice crtt~
SADIE he led while mayor Of Seattle.
They knew that l Intended to en-
force the law" he observed In thie
connection. .aHd ! did"
He declared that Ii was only upon
repeated solicitation Of Senator Ptian.
Of Washington; j. r. Glavis b mwww
cf Washington; ]. Y. Garfield, then
Secretary OF the Interior. and Prest-
dent Roosevelt. himself. that he cOn-
scented to become commissioner OF the
General Land Office.
They urged me to accept" no said,
appealing to my patriotism"
He said Judge Garfield again re1t~s
Grated his appeal. Subsequently.
President Roosevelt telegraphed: n
In your duty TO help me. You ana
Garfield will lift an immense burdons
from my shoulders.
MY relations with Garfield" Nh.
Ballinxer said. were entirely friendly,
but not intimate. | knew him In cole
lege.'
When Judge Bailinger came u
Washington as commissioner. he tes~
titled that the members OF his la9s
firm agreed that they were not to en-5
gage in any law practice that might
embarrass him.
Mr., Bailfnger declared that he did
not even know that there was any
such group AZ the "CunninghaMa
claims at the time he took the come
uiissionership, subsequently. he said.
he learned that several persons whonos
he knew we're claimants. He named
half dozen, specifically stating thak
he did not know Clarence Cummings
ham. 78ss
Il had no interests In ALASKA g.
any lands. either directly or indfrect.
~" the witness said. And / haven'f
any to-day"
Praised by Roosevelt
President Roosevelt greeted him
with characteristic warmth. he said.
when he arrived In Washington.
I'm mighty glad to have you here
Ballinger testified Roosevelt said. and
haven't any excuses to offer for taxi.
Ing you away from Seattle. Any man
that can clean up Seattle. as you did,
can clean up the Land Office"
i3allinger ga 1 that he he h&trd
favorshls of Il. *. Love. formerly NJ
.peciai agent, hut that his hs-lsrAY \
knowledge of III r. Jones. ansitiaeF
special agent. wa. mot entirely favuHa
able." Love was witness for Sees 1
rotary Eaiiinger at the hearing NtS
Jcnes appeared "a, the "prosecuiionss4y3
and gave evidence distinctly uHfavAFs
able TO the .sseretary The wssueG~
saie MIR, Jones was guilty OF "kr esieA
lug"
He knocked his own brother-ils
Law. I think my lack OF confsdeuco
IN Jones has been Justified In his 49,
tit ms before this committees" Hatiyn
dence. he said, which felt then 10l
to put Jones on the work on tt
Alaskan cases. Ballinger then gaN4M
the lie direct" to CLAWS. MI M
vertrees asked about the conko<
ence which Claws had with him
1907.
CLAWS makes the wiifui ana
Iiherate misstatement. In hts te4e
mony here. that we talked overs4
Alaska cases and that l mentio&&
several persons said Bnilin3
THAT Ii a woeful and deiibara1A
/ did not know those people ~
time. Wv merely talked over
general Aiaskan situation and IA ~
20 into the different groups. ~ 01Nx
gays we did"
Irssifs~~ Clear T.ietin9.
I Exnlatnink his clear liAsSna =
the Cunningham claims. - uo1s<
sion, In January. 1908. thu WitSG
Eafd that he and CHIEF ~ IN i 5
Division EchwartS looked 0vaz
renorts made August Z. 1ea5. u
ctded that # was fAvcrnh1
- tcontinusa e. rtffk iS