The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-01-07
S LETTER
sT|Rs PRESIDENT
Forester May Be Removed From
Office for Approving Caustic At
tacks on Ballinger.


and perhaps radical. action, against
Chief Forester Pinchot In the yer,
near future. II not today. Pinchot's
letter to Senator Dolliver. the chair
man of the committee on agriculture
Fin which the course followed by l.. G
CLAWS. assisted by Messrs. Price and
Shaw. OF the bureau OF forestry, was
upheld, has caused sensation. II
aroused the president to such an ex
tent that he sent hurry call for such
members OF his cabinet who were In
reach. Soon after the hurry call was
sent out from the White House Sec
retaries Knox, MacVeagh and Wilson
and Attorney-General Wickersham put
In an appearance to advise with the
president on the action to be takeI
against Pinchot
The first slap at President TAFT, In
Pfnchots declaration that the Gun
ningham coal lands were about 10 &C
to fraudulent claimants until CLAWS
and the forestry bureau took hand In
the fight, thus questioning the inten.
lions OF the high officials of the In,
terror department. moved Taft to keen
resentment. The chief forester not
only upheld the criticisms directed al
Secretary Ballinger, but suggested
that the president himself had been
mistaken III the facts when he remov.
ed CLAWS from the service.
Pinchot's letter called Senator Hale
to his feet with severe rebuke to
the chief forester for having ignored
a recent order by the president direct.
ing that no subordinate oficer should
give information concerning affairs OF
the government except to his superior
officers. He also suggested that the
adoption OF this course tended to fore
stall and prejudice public opinion II.
relation to the Ballinger- Pinchot con-
troversy.
Preceding this incident, Senator
Jones joint resolution for a ninvesti-
CATION Of the interior department and
OF the forestry bureau was referred to
the committee on public lands, but the
reference was not made until after
considerable discussion OF a resolution
by Senator Newlands instructing the
committee on public lands to report
within two weeks recommendations
for Legislation putting into effect Bal
fingers recommendations made In his
Hast annual report for the conserva.
ton Of natural resosrces. The New.
lands resolution Was also referred 70
1.-The committee on public lands.
While the senate was taking this
action the house declined to enter on
a discussion Of the joint resolution
introduced by Rep. Humphrey. The
resolution went over until tomorrow.
WASHINGTON, Jan. G.-Richard
Achilles Ballinger-vicum of mali
cious. irresponsible and totally unmer-
tied criticism.
l.. X. CLAWS. megalo-maniac. with
an exaggerated sense of his own i'm
portance and desire for personal adj
vancement.
Thus does the announcement of
the United States dispose OF the
charges uf misconduct in Office fled
against Secretary OF the Interior Bal
linger. These Characterization are
from tho Report and summary by the
encouragement on the statement OF
l.. X. CLAWS" presented to the senate
today by President Taft in response
to resolution requesting the execu-
tive TO transmit all papers, reports and
documents In his possession relating
TO the charges made by L. r. CLAWS
Former chief OF the field service. OF
the general land ONCE at Seattle. in
connection with the Cunningham coal
claims In Alaska. and such other In.
formation as he might have regarding
the fiallinger-Pinchot controversy.
1t was upon this report BY Attnr.
ney-General Wickersham that rresI.
dent Taft wrote his so'called white.
wash" letter to Ballinger and author.
lied CLAWS dismissal.
CLAWS action" says the attorney.
general. appears to have been found
ed upon q wholly exaggerated sense
OF his importance and q desire for
personal advancement rather than on
any genuine desire to protect the In
terests OF the government and this
species, OF megalo-mania has finally
led him to submit to you charges OF
improper motives and conduct against
his Official superiors which, In my
opinion, are SO unjust and unfounded
as to merit his immediate separation
from the service"
or the secretary OF the interior
Wickersham declares that The insin
uations or charges of improper action
are, In my opinion. entirely dis
proved"
Assistant Pierce. commissioner o.
the land ONCE Dennet. and II. II
Schwartz, chief Of the field division
of the land ONCE. all are exoneratec
from the charges made by CLAWS Of
official misconduct.
Ballinger's action In throwing oper
to entry again vast tracts OF land,
previously withdrawn by his pre-
decessor, Secretary Garfield. with the
idea Of saving to the government sup
posed water power sites thereon. II
justified. and the encouragement de
clares that his investigation discloses
that no Interest" acquired power
, sites on this land during the perioc
between restoration of the land and II:
withdrawal by Ballinger.
This was the original charge made
against the secretary by the Pincho
conservationists. In his statement
I.concerning them. the Encouragement
for the first time discloses the In
| formation that the reclamation ser
vice originally requested the secretary
to make the reservations on tn,
ground that from Recent investiga
lions the Withdrawals no longer ap
~oor oaraooarvo