New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-03-03
From The Tribune Bureau.

Washington. March >
FTNCEoT EXPLAINS.-GIffor Pinchot
In his TESTIMONY yesterday. OF rather in
letter Of the President which he placed in
evidence. answered the Of repeated uues-
ton why Secretary Ballinser. Commissioner
Dennet and other officials of the Interior
Depar uieat remained mute during al last
autumn, when they we're being borbarded
with charges OF dieiovalty to the conS7rva-
tiou policy and Of corruption il connection
with the Cunningham claims 10 Alaska
coal lands In his letter OF September u.
1909, addressed 70 Pnchot. President Taft.
speaking Of the letter ne was about 90
make public. said:
Il have made no reference 10 yoI IL this
letter. which will probably be made public.
because I do not wish TO bring you into
the controversy at all l have advised Mr..
BalIinger and his subordinates that ] wish
your name left out Of the matter in their
answers and references. should it become
necessary. as is not unlikely. to send the
whole record TO Congress 7 want
you TO help me in this. I can inforce team
work if l can keep public servants out Of
newspaper controversy"
While there is a grave question Of ethics
involved in the course Of Pinchot in max
ing public this obviously private letter Of
the President to himself, the officials of the
Interior Department are delighted to have
The reason for their long silence made clear.
In unmista kable terms the President re-
quested them 10 refrain from participating
in any newspaper controversy and from
mentioning the name of Clifford Pinchot
the chief inciter OF the attacks on them. and
loyalty 10 the President necess:tated their
silence
BELOW THE BELT.-As if to demon
strate that any one who testifies for the
administration and against the Pinchot-
CLAWS cabal will be made to suffer, the
supporters of the former Forester have been
busily circulating the report to-day that
Secretary Wilson Will be forced 10 resign
from the Cabinet because he did not forbid
Pinchot TO write TO Senator DoIIiver on
purely departmental matters. OF course.
there is no truth in the story. The Presi-
dent understands now as he has all along,
the course which Pinchot pursued. He re-
Z lied before he dismissed Ptnchot that the
latter had gone TO Secretary Wilson, and.
by nisrepresenting the character OF the
letter he purposed 10 write TO Mr.. Dolliver
and by asserting that Mr.. Dolliver wanted
simply routine information sought to
trick Secretary Wilson into sauctiouinS his
writing. Even then Secretary Wilson ad-
vised against the letter, and when Pinchot
left him Mr.. Wilson understood that If
the Forester decided to write at all, he
would first submit the communication to
his superior. Now that Secretary Wilson
has given his testimony-and although on
he became somewhat
confused there was doubt in the mind
OF any auditor that he had told the exact
truth in his direct testimony-the enemies
Of the administration are seeking TO en-
barrass the venerable Secretary by spread
ing this ruHlor Of his approaching retire
ment from the Cabinet.
PINCHOTTTES DESHEARTENED.-SO Some +
OF the most ardent disciples Of Gift
ford Pinchot are greatly disheartened by
The showing made by the ex-Forester on
the stand Pinchot has long assured his .
friends that he had abundant evidence 10
prove all his contentious. and he began his .
testimony with such flourish of tr1Impets .
that. despite the fact that he refused TO
swear 10 his advance statement. his friends .
confidently expected there would not be a .
shred OF the reputation of Secretary Bal :
linger and his associates left when Pinchot .
had concluded Instead. PinChot has been .
under Cross-exa minaticn. to re
trace his steps. one by one. admitting that .
this charge was mistake. that that
one vas based on the unsubstantiated .
statement OF newspaper man. etc, until
an analysis OF his testimony as il now
stands leaves the only definite statements
regarding Mr. BalinEer and his associates .
entirely on a par with those of CLAWS and .
subject 10 President Taft's Characterization
made long ago. mere shreds Of suspicion.
So far as known, only three witnesses for .