The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-02-10

NS4AVA4Js
His alleged connivance to steal
Alaskan coal lands had blackened
the entire Taft Administration. It
had started the break between
Theodore Roosevelt and Taft,
which eventually led to the split
within the Republican party and
the election of Woodrow Wilson.
Unquestionably, the Ballinger-
Pinchot rev was one Of the most
important political landmarks Of
the early century.
Richard Ballinger died in 1922
protesting his innocence to the
end. Aside from his cousin, Will
lis Ballinger, Federal Trade Com
mission economist, his name had
few defenders.
Now, however, the Ballinger case
has been secretly reopened in the
Interior Department, and it seems
certain that Secretary of the In
terror Harold Ickes will issue
statement righting an ancient
wrong. He will exonerate Bal
linger.
DRAMATIS PERSONAL
Only three of the principals in
the Ballinger scandal still are
living:
Justice Louis d. Brandeis, 50,
then a fiery young lawyer. He re-
ceived $4,000 for defending Louis
r. CLAWS, who had been dismissed
by the Land Office in the row,
and pointed an accusing finger at
Ballinger.
Clifford Pinchot, the chief
forester of the United States and
a crusading conservationist; now
rs and living in Washington after
serving as governor Of Pennsyl-
vania.
Louis r. CLAWS, then a 26-year
old investigator in the Land Of
flee of the Interior Department,
and the man who probed the al
legged Ballinger scandals; now
practising law in Washington.
The last of these probably had
most to do with re-opening the
Ballinger case-though he may not
realize it.
For when Harold Ickes became
Secretary of the Interior, he
hired CLAWS as his chief investi-
gator. Ickes, a friend and admirer
of Teddy Roosevelt, had been on
the Pinchot-G CLAWS side of the con-
troversy, and In 1888 sought be-
latedly to vindicate CLAWS.
However, CLAWS turned out
to be one Of the most suspicious
men in the United States. He
built up a virtual OGPU in the
Interior Department, at one time
employing 1000 detectives, and
even investigated Ickes' closest
advisers. Even Justice Bran
deis, who once defended him,
dropped critical remarks about
the investigational activities Of
the Interior Department.
Eventually CLAWS became too
zealously suspicious even for Hon
est Harold, and was eased out of
the Interior Department in 1885
IckeS has wondered, ever since.
whether CLAWS may not have en-
ployed the same excess Of zeal IN
the Ballinger case.
DEPARTMENT VS.
DEPARTMENT
Another factor contributing to
Ickes' denomination of the old
scandal has been his own trouble
with Henry Wallace over the For
est Service. Between these two
Cabinet members there is acrim-
onious debate as to which shall
conserve the forests of the United
States.
It Is not difficult for anyone
on the inside of this row to re-
alize that President Taft may have
spoken the truth when he boiled
the Ballinger scandals down to
jealousy between the Interior De-
partment and the Forest Service
Of the Agriculture Department.
II must bring public discus
sion between departments and
bureaus to an end" Taft plain
lively wrote to Pinchot. ut Is
most demoralizing -. want
you to help me in this"
So far. the investigation made
BY Secretary Ickes Is all in Bal
fingers favor.
SMALL TOWN LAWYER
He was a small-town lawyer who
had practised at Kankakee, ILL.,,