Bisbee Daily Review

REPORT ON BALLINGER AND PINCHOT EXPECTED IN JULY

WASHINGTON, June 4.—The report of the congressional committee appointed to investigate the Ballinger-Pinchot controversy will, in all likelihood, be published about the middle of July. There may be two reports, one signed by Senator Nelson of Minnesota, chairman of the joint committee, and the majority members, and the other by the insurgents and democrats on the committee.

While it is generally believed that Secretary Ballinger will be entirely exonerated of wrong doing, and Gifford Pinchot, Louis R. Glavis and others among the accusers will be criticised for what the committee may term their "misguided zeal," nevertheless the opinion prevails that Secretary Ballinger's resignation will be in the hands of President Taft before November.

It is reported that Secretary Ballinger has already intimated to his friends that he thought of resigning, but he declared he would never resign under fire. Secretary Ballinger is guided in this course by two motives: first, the charges made in the Pinchot controversy, and second, the counter accusations which are daily growing out of the senatorial investigation growing out of the senatorial investigation into the Alaskan situation.

Ballinger Nursing Wrath.

Secretary Ballinger's statement to the public, which is expected to accompany his reported resignation, will doubtless be a masterpiece in prose. For weeks and weeks he has been nursing his wrath against his political foes without the opportunity to unstop the safety valve, as it were. The explanatory statement of his resignation from President Taft's official family will give him the opportunity he has long desired.

While it is already established that the report of the Investigating committee will be published before the autumn elections, it has been a matter of common gossip that Secretary Ballinger would step down and out before the campaign terminated. The members of the committee feared that it would be harmful in the congressional elections if the report were kept under cover until after November. There are some who believe that equal harm will accrue by exonerating Secretary Ballinger. The public has but a slight inkling of the great mass of testimony given at the hearings. The newspapers selected only portions of wide interest which were published.

There May Be Three Reports.

Just what Representative Ollie James of Kentucky and his democratic associates will have to say over the verdict is a matter of a great deal of speculation. It is said that there might be three reports, one majority report and two minority reports, the two latter being headed by Representative James and the democrats, and the other by Representative Madison and the insurgents on the committee.

While Secretary Ballinger will be exonerated, he will come in for some warm criticism from the insurgents and democrats for his alleged impropriety and undiplomatic actions while in office.

It is not believed that more than passing mention will be made of the part President Taft's name played in the evidence.

The records of the case will have been completed by June 13, and the review of the testimony and arguments will then be confirmed. Secretary Ballinger today reiterated a statement he has made before relative to his proposed resignation. He said:

"I have not talked with President Taft about resigning nor has the president mentioned the subject to me. I feel that I have been cleared by the testimony given before the joint committee and await the verdict confidently and with a clear conscience."

Many Suits For Libel.

It is believed that the wake of the Ballinger-Pinchot investigation will be marked by an unprecedented number of damage suits for libel, slander and defamation of character. Three have either been entered or promised already. They are:

Secretary Ballinger against Collier's Weekly.

Christopher P. Connolly, a lawyer of Montana and New York, against Assistant U. S. Attorney General Oscar Lawler, for $20,000 damages.

James B. Connolly of Boston, against Mr. Lawler for $50,000 damages.

Mr. Lawler on the witness stand referred to a "Mr. Connolly" as a despicable scoundrel who would stoop to any depth of degradation. One of Mr. Lawler's utterances on the witness stand was: "A man named Connolly stood on the deck of the sinking steamer Republic and struggled over the bodies of women and children to get to the lifeboat first."

Christopher Connolly took the statement to refer to him. He says he was in Los Angeles at the time of the sinking of the Republic. James B. Connolly, who admits he was on the Republic, denies he trampled women and children. Both men are magazine writers and Mr. Lawler thinks they gave his side the worst of it in their stories of the Ballinger-Pinchot squabble.