Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-04-29
Under Oath Says He'd Take
Same Action Today in Cum
ningham Claims He Did.
IF SAME RECORD BEFORE HIM
Asked A. Co Truth of GlaVis's state
mcnt. said, ITS Wilful.
Deliberate Lie"


stand In his own defense sccy. Ballin-
ger today asserted under oath 20 the
Ballingcr- Pinchot investigating com
mittee that he would take the same
action today that he aid as commission
or Of the general land office i'm ordering
the Cunningham Alaskan coal claims
clear listed" provided he had the same
record before him.
Its wilful. deliberate lie nc
snapped when Mr. Ncrtreas asked ass 20
the truth of CLAWS statement To the
committee that he had discussed Gun
ningham claims with BJlinger in De
comber. 1907 He related several In
stances in which former President
Roosevelt had Indicated confidence in
him
Mr. Balnnger was stin on the sub
iect of Alaskan coal claims when the
midday recess was taken The exam
nation now passes from the CLAWS
charges 10 Ballingcrs differences with
Forester pinchot over the restoration
90 entry by him Of water power sites
and his attitude toward conservation
in general
tracted larger proportion Of women
than attended the hearing today. Mrs.
BalUnger was there. accompanied py
Mrs Wickersham wife Of the attorney
general Mrs Pinchot mother OF the
former forester. and Mrs. Justice Lur-
ton also were there
Secv. Batinger took the stand soon
after the Ballinger- PinchOt inquiry be
gan this morning and his attorney, MT
Nprtrees. at once launched into the III
rect examination Of the CABINET oiuceI
Before Mr. Ballinger took the stand,
ATTY. Brandeis stated 10 the committee
that I'M view OF the fact that Mr.. Bal
60
ike 10 again call the Commuters at
tention 10 his request FOR papers ana
memoranda bearing on the attorney
generals summary OF the Claws
charges He said he would like 10 re
new his request in modified form as ne
needed the papers IN the cross-eNainlh-
alton OF Mr. Ballinger. After consider
able discussion the committee decided
TO grant the opposition counsel hear
ing on the request tomorrow
BALLINGER SWORN .
Mr.. Ballinger then was sworn and re-
counted the story Of his career up to
the time he became commissioner
general Of the land office on the earnest
solicitation of President Roosevelt.
Secy. Garfield and Senator Piles. He
referred to the anti-vice crusade he led
while mayor OF Seattle.
They knew I would enforce the law
and did" he stated emphatieally.
Mr.. Ballinger read kilograms he had
received from Mr. Garfield and Nh
Roosevelt after he had replied mega
lively 10 a suggestion Of Senator Piles
that he accept the post Of commissioner
of the land office. Reading from the
Roosevelt telegram ne said;
1T is your duty to help me. You
and Garfield win lift an immense bur
den from my shoulders
II was then, Mr. Baninger said. that
ne decided 20 accept the post and Mr..
Nertrecs asked the witness whether his
relations with Mr.. Garfield then were
friendly.
Friendly. but never intimate /
knew Mr.. Garfield in college
Mr. Nertrees asked MI Banngcr
whether he knew any Of the Cunning
ham Alaskan coal claimants at ihe
time he became COmmi ssioner. lIe
said he was not aware he knew any
of them at that time but had since dis
covered that he knew about six Of
them. whom he named.
Did you have any interest IN Alas
kan lands2" asked Mr.. Nertrees.
Il had no interest IN Alaskan or any
other lands whatever, either directly
or indirectly" retorted Mr. Ballnger,
emphatiCally.
what professional relations did you
or your law firm have at that time
with Alaska
u don't recall that We represented
anv with the possible exception NJ
Watson Allen. a lumber man. who had
some interest in Nome, in placer gold
digging"
THAT was ALL
Vow wait I want to qualify that
statement I did represent the Pioneer
Mining company which ! organized In
1904 or 1905 Its interests were In and
about Nome and IL was composei
largely OF Scandinavian"
INTERVIEW WITH ROOSEVELT.
Mr. Balinger then told Of having
come TO Washington and Of an inter-
view he had at the White House with
President Roosevelt soon after his ar
rival Raising his voice, Mr.. Ballluger
said
"The president said TO me as he
greeted me. i have no apologies 20
make. Ballinger I'm glad you are
here. Any man who could clean NJ
Seattle as you did, can clean up that
land office"
CLEANED UP" LAND OFFICE
Mr. Ballnger then described how he
cleaned up" the land office. relating
I'm detail the many changes he hao
made and the innovation he had intro
duced. He said he first met l.. r. Gla-
Wis I'm san Francisco In the summer
OF 1907. At that time ne said nothing
had been said about coal lands but
CLAWS had asked him To- secure his
transfer to Portland when he returned
10 Washington. Explaining why ne
had put II. *. Love i'm charge OF the
Alaskan coal cases instead OF H. n.
Jones. another special agent. Mr. Bal
niger said he lacked confidence In
Jones.
His action before this committee
Justified my opinion OF him." said MT
Balinger
Jones testified against MI BalHngcr
az the inquiry
Atty Nertrecs asked Mr. Ballinger
about a conference he had with CLAWS
In December. 1907 He referred Bal
llnger 10 CLAWS testimony before the
committee that they had talked about
several specific groups Of Alaska coal
claims.
That's a wilful and deliberate lie"
exclaimed Mr BallinRcr He said they
had discussed the situation Ia general.
but that he knew nothing about any
groups
Mr. Vertrees called the witness at
tentlon 10 tho matter OF the ''clear-ust-
ing OF the Cunningham entries by his
order a. commissioner IN January.
1905