Los Angeles herald., 1910-01-07
Associated Press1

NU
w made doubly intense by the
reading in the senate of a letter ad-
dressed by Mr.. Pinchot to Senator
Dolliver, in which the course adopted
by L. r. CLAWS, with the assistance
of Messrs. Price and Shaw of the
bureau of forestry was warmly ap-
proved.
In this communication the chief
forester not only upheld the criticisms
Of Secretary Ballinger, but suggested
that the president himself had been
mistaken in the facts when he removed
Mr. CLAWS from the public service.
Mr.. Pinchot's letter called Senator
Hale to his feet with a severe rebuke
to the chief forester having ignored a
recent order by the president directing
that no subordinate officer should give
information concerning affairs of the
government except to his superior
Officers.
He also suggested that the adoption
of this course tenGed to forestall ana
prejudice public opinion in relation to
the Ballinger-Pinchot controversy.
Wants Speedy Report
Preceding this incident, Senator
Jones Joint resolution for an investi-
CATION of the interior department and
the forestry bureau was referred to
the committee on public lands, but the
reference was not made until after
much discussion of a resolution by
Senator Newlands instructing the COM
mittee on public lands to report
within two weeks bills putting into
effect Secretary Ballinger's recon-
mendation in his annual report on the
conservation of natural resources,
which resolution also was referred to
the committee on public lands
While the senate was taking this
action the house declined to enter
discussion of the joint resolution intro
duced by Mr.. Humphrey, and the reso-
luton went over until tomorrow.
In the senate Mr.. Pinchot's letter
caused a genuine sensation.
In addressing his letter to Senator
DolliVer Mr.. Pinchot indicated that 1t
had been written at the request of the
Iowa senator but it was addressed to
him as chairman of the committee on
agriculture, thus making it an official
document He said that Messrs. Price
and Shaw had prepared an official re-
port on their actions which he was
transmitting to the secretary of agri-
culture.
Effect of Report
.yrhis report shows that Messrs. Price
and Shaw made public certain informa-
tion regarding the so-called Cunning
ham claims for coal lands in Alaska"
said MI Pinchot. 1.-THE effect of the
publication was to direct critical pub
lie attention to the action OF the interi-
or department
''It shows they countenanced the pub
lication by L. r. CLAWS of certain facts
concerning these claims after he had
been dismissed from office, and that in
other ways they endeavored to direct
public attention to the imminent dam
ger that the Alaska coal fields still in
government ownership might pass for
ever into private hands with little or
no compensation to the public"
This Information, Mr.. Pinchot adds,
was of a nature proper to be MADE
public, "unless there are secrets which
the people of the United States are not
entitled to know concerning the sources,
nature and progress of claims made for
portions of the public lands"
1.-THE rumor," he said, that the Gla-
Wis report to the president was pre-
pared in or by the forest service is in
corredt. At Claws request sent
Shaw, as it was proper l should, to
Chicago to assist him in arranging his
material for submission to the presi-
dent"
After saying that these officials had
acted on information concerning the
danger of the loss of the Alaska coal
lands, Mr.. Pinchot continued:
CLAWS Defended
"Action through the usual official
channels, and finally even an appeal TO
the president, had resulted (because OF
what / believe to have been a mistaken
impression OF the facts) in eliminating
from the government service in the per-
son of CLAWS the most vigorous defend
er Of the peoples interest. Further
more. the refusal of the secretary OF
the interior to assume responsibility in
the cases had left their conduct wholly
in the hands of subordinates, each of
whom was apparently committed in
favor of patenting these claims"
price and Shaw, he said, deliberately |
chose to risk their official positions ra-
Continued gage rwOl