Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1922-03-06
ROW STARTED
F BY MEMBERS
OF CABINET
Secretary Fall Says Some Of
ficiaIs Are Biased and
Narrow
FOREST RESERVE SPAT
ecial to Indiana Daily Times

Special to Indiana Daily Times
and Philadelphia Public Ledger.
WASHINGTON, March 6.-SecretaTy Of
the Interior Fan has brought into the
open his row with the Department Of
Agriculture over the proposal to trans
fer control Of 120OO0,000 acres Of for
est reserves in Alaska to his department.
In a letter to a member of the House
Mr. Fall has declared he was aware that
his ideas for development Of national
resources do not meet with the approval
Of certain narrow minded and biased
bureaucratic Government officials and
their followers" and added that because
he would not alter his policy he was be-
ing sui jected to "execretion, public abuse
and private columny."
APPEALS 70
PRESIDENT.
The cOntro 5ersy has been growing more
bitter for several weeks 1t has as
sumed ali aspects Of a personal differ
ence between Secretary Fall and Secre-
tary Of Agriculture Wallace There 10
reason to believe 1t must have reached
the Harding Cabinet table. Mr. Fall
has ppealed to the President for pro-
ter on against the vicious propaganda"
which be says is being conducted against
him by the Department Of Agriculture.
personal issue between himself and MF.
Wallace, so far as l am concerned"
The Secretary Of Agriculture declined to
comment. He said he might have a state
ment later. He indicated there would
be considerable to say when he started
talking.
Mr.. Falls letter charged Clifford
Pinchot, State forester of Pennsylvania,
and outstanding figure in the national
Conservation movement; Colonel w. y.
Greeley, chief Of the United States forest
service, and one or two others with re-
sponsibility for newspaper and magazine
articles misrepresentation Of his position
relative to administration Of Alaskan
forests. He stated that when he ap-
peared before a congressional committee
to explain his attitude toward pending
legislation be was accused by Mr.. Pinchot
OF being engaged in an attempt to de-
stroy the United States forestry service
and deliver 1t over to private expIoita-
ton.
CAUSES OF
THE DISPUTE.
Mr.. Falls letter described in some &C.
tail the nature OF his row with the
forestry service. He said he had opposed
the Curry bill which proposed virtual
I No4AAiuiSSiOG IOIul OF Government Tor
Alaska aud had advocated passage either
OF the Overman bill authorizing the
President to allocate and coordinate the
work Of the various bureaus having to
DO with Alaskan affairs Of the bill to
vest directly in the Secretary of the In
terror administrative authority over
Alaska
This at once brought down on my
devoted head the wrath Of Clifford Pin
chot and his followers" Mr. FAN stated.
land Immediately there was issued a
press sheet In glazing headlines pur-
porting to be sent out by the American
I 0restry Association"
The press release described Col tree
ley's fight against the plan to get can
troll Of Alaska's forests" A section %
an article which appeared in connection
With photograph of Col. Greeley stated:
"A more daring piece Of legislation has
not been attempted in our time The
vast wealth Of the great empire OF
Alaska was to be turned over to an
absolutely irresponsible body from which
the people of the United States and the
PEOPLE of Alaska would have no appeal
whatever"
Mr.. Fall who was absent from Wash
ingtOn when the attack on him appeared,
stated he had authorized administering
chiefs in the Interior Department to lay
the matter before the President-Copy-
right, 1922, by Public Ledger Company.