I desire to say that I was never on the Republic or on any other trans-Atlantic steamer in my life. No incident of my career has given the slightest foundation or the remotest warrant for this unjust statement. It is made out of the whole cloth. I think in justice the record ought to show this much.

MY DEAR SIR: In the course of my testimony before your committee certain statements were made by me concerning a Mr. Connelly. These statements I believed to be correct, but it now appears, from communications presented before you on yesterday, that they were incorrect and that I had been misinformed. As stated at the time, I desired to commit no intentional injustice, and I take this means of retracting said statements and expressing to the committee and the parties referred to my sincere regret at the occurrence.

Very respectfully,

OSCAR LAWLER, Assistant Attorney-General.

There are also 4,630 examining surgeons and specialists for pensions who are not strictly employees-17 in Washington and 4,647 outside.

The above includes General Land Office and land service; total, 1,589-570 in Washington, D. C., and 1,019 outside.

4566

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR,
Washington, May 16, 1910.

Appeals received in the General Land Office during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1909.

Appeals from decisions of registers and receivers...
Appeals received from decisions of surveyors-general

4, 254

2

Total......

Appeals received in the Department of the Interior from decisions of the Commissioner of the General Land Office during the year ending June 30, 1909.. 1,997 Appeals received in the General Land Office during ten months between July 1, 1909, and April 30, 1910, from decisions of registers and receivers. Appeals received in the Department of the Interior from decisions of the Commissioner of the General Land Office during ten months between July, 1909, and April 30, 1910.

4,256

5,882

2, 615

1676

[United States Revised Statutes relating to perjury and subornation of perjury.]

SEC. 183. Any officer or clerk of any of the departments lawfully detailed to investigate frauds or attempts to defraud on the Government, or any irregu1677 larity or misconduct of any officer or agent of the United States, shall have authority to administer an oath to any witness attending to testify or depose in the course of such investigation.

48412-VOL 1-10-2

SEC. 5392. Every person who, having taken an oath before a competent tribunal, officer, or person, in any case in which a law of the United States authorizes an oath to be administered, that he will testify, declare, depose, or certify truly, or that any written testimony, declaration, deposition, or certificate by him subscribed is true, willfully and contrary to such oath states or subscribes any material matter which he does not believe to be true, is guilty of perjury, and shall be punished by a fine of not more than two thousand dollars, and by imprisonment at hard labor not more than five years; and shall, moreover, thereafter be incapable of giving testimony in any court of the United States until such time as the judgment against him is reversed.

SEC. 5393. Every person who procures another to commit any perjury is guilty of subornation of perjury, and punishable as in the preceding section prescribed.

PART II.

CORRESPONDENCE RELATING TO THE APPOINTMENT OF MR. R. A. BALLINGER AS COMMISSIONER OF THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE AND AS SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR.

3551

WASHINGTON, D. C., January 12, 1907.

To Hon. R. A. BALLINGER, Seattle, Wash.: Have just left President. Is anxious to appoint you Commissioner General Land Office. May I have pleasure of telling him you will accept place? I hope you will not hesitate to accept, as I consider it a high testimony to your character and ability and very great honor to our State. Please wire me immediately.

To Hon. S. H. PILES, Washington, D. C.

S. H. PILES.

SEATTLE, January 12, 1907.

Deeply appreciate tender of appointment to position of Commissioner of General Land Office and regret my inability to accept. Please express my high appreciation of the offer to the President.

R. A. BALLINGER.

WHITE HOUSE,

To Hon. R. A. BALLINGER, Seattle, Wash.:

Washington, D. C., January 15, 1907.

Can you not reconsider your decision about Commissioner of the General Land Office? President and I feel that the public service warrants the personal sacrifice you would make.

JAMES R. GARFIELD.

SEATTLE, January 16, 1907.

TO JAMES R. GARFIELD, Washington, D. C.

Necessary to consult business associates. Will it embarrass the President or yourself if my answer is delayed a day or so?

R. A. BALLINGER.

3551

WHITE HOUSE,

Washington, D. C., January 16, 1907.

Hon. R. A. BALLINGER, Seattle, Wash.: Am delighted with your telegram to Garfield. Of course consult your business associates and take what time is necessary, but I earnestly hope that you will see what I conscientiously believe to be the fact, namely, that it is your clear duty to

help me out by taking this peculiarly important and responsible post. You 3552 and Garfield will lift an immense burden off my shoulders if you will take

this post and be his associate in the Department of the Interior. It seems to me that I should receive all the support possible from the men who believe in my way of handling things, and the only way you can support me is to take this position. THEODORE ROOSEVELT.

(19)

To Hon. JAMES R. GARFIELD, Washington, D. C.:

SEATTLE, January 17, 1907.

I am unable to resist the appeal of the President and yourself, as expressed in your messages, notwithstanding the personal sacrifice entailed, and you are authorized to so notify the President. May I make public messages which show office unsolicited by me?

R. A. BALLINGER.

3850

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR,

OFFICE OF THE COMMISSIONER, GENERAL LAND OFFICE,
Washington, January 4, 1908.

SIR: Personal considerations make it necessary for me to tender to you my resignation as Commissioner of the General Land Office, which I ask may be accepted, to take effect March 4, 1908.

I wish to acknowledge my deep appreciation of the support given me by you and the honorable Secretary of the Interior in my efforts to increase the efficiency of the service.

MY DEAR MR. BALLINGER: I hand you the letter from the President accepting your resignation.

I very sincerely regret that you are leaving the public service. Your year's work at the head of the Land Office has been of great value to the public and of constant help to me.

You have my best wishes for your continued success.

Very sincerely, yours,

Hon. R. A. BALLINGER,

JAMES RUDOLPH GARFIELD.

Commissioner of the General Land Office.

3591

THE WHITE HOUSE, Washington, January 6, 1908.

MY DEAR MR. COMMISSIONER: I greatly regret that you feel obliged to leave the public service, but I thank you heartily for the admirable work you have done during your altogether too brief term of office. When I requested you to come here I realized the sacrifice I was asking you to make, and I appreciate the genuine patriotism which made you willing to suffer the discomfort and the pecuniary loss incident to your accepting the office.

Thanking you again and wishing you all good fortune in the future, I am,

Sincerely, yours,

Hon. RICHARD A. BALLINGER,

Commissioner of the General Land Office.

THEODORE ROOSEVELT.

3847 Personal and confidential.]

Hon. FRANK H. HITCHCOCK,

Manhattan Hotel, New York City.

NOVEMBER 6, 1908.

MY DEAR FRANK: My prominence in connection with the national campaign, which was largely the result in your good offices in appointing me on the advisory committee, and the splendid victory achieved by the party both nationally and in the State of Washington, has filled my personal friends with an undue exuberance, to the

extent that I am somewhat embarrassed at the present time. The embarrassment comes from the fact that my friends feel that it is their duty to appeal to Judge Taft to appoint me as one of the members of his Cabinet, and in view of my western experience have endeavored to select for me the particular secretaryship from the incoming President, namely, the Secretary of the Interior.

The matter has progressed to such a stage that meetings are being held with a view of transmitting resolutions in this behalf, and newspaper articles are appearing to the same effect, which I am unable to prevent. In view of the fact that Secretary Garfield has made such an excellent Secretary, and the further fact, as you well know, 3848 that he has my permanent and lasting friendship, confidence, and support, it would be a great presumption on my part to even think of my name being suggested for this position.

I anticipate that the industry of my friends will result in resolutions, letters, and telegrams possibly reaching Judge Taft on this subject, and in order that he may not misunderstand my position, and that you may also know that I have no ambition or desire for public office, which was fully exhibited in the fact that I resigned from the position of Commissioner of the General Land Office under well-known circumstances, I felt it my duty to write you as a friend, so that you could assist in protecting me against a possible misunderstanding in the mind of Judge Taft and of yourself. It is impossible for me, as I have stated above, to forestall the sentiment that is now on foot, largely because the people of the Northwest feel that they are entitled, by virtue of their loyalty to the party and their great interest in the administration, to representa- . tion in the Cabinet. Notwithstanding this, I want it understood that I am not personally a party to any plans or suggestions made, looking to appointment such as above mentioned.

In writing you this confidential letter, I want you, as my friend, to take the first occasion to see Judge Taft in reference to this matter, in case you find there is any reason for doing so, and you can make such use of the statements herein contained with him as you feel proper and necessary. Of course, you understand, and Judge Taft will understand, that I am anxious to see his administration a success, and that I am at all times ready and willing to do anything in my power to contribute to that

MY DEAR JIM: I wish to congratulate you on the national election. I never felt happier over the result of a campaign, for it means so much to the country, and the victory was so thoroughly pronounced that it will give Judge Taft the right kind of support and encouragement for his administration. The State of Washington came out about as I expected a little over 47,000 plurality. I wish to congratulate you also upon the result in Ohio, for we were all fearful that the complicated conditions in your State might possibly result disastrously.

On account of securing some prominence in the national campaign, through the courtesy of Mr. Hitchcock, a number of my overzealous friends in the West have somewhat embarrassed me by suggesting my name as proper for consideration in appointment as Secretary of the Interior. I have done all I could to forestall any such suggestion, and you well know that my intense loyalty and admiration for yourself would prevent even such a suggestion coming to me. I have at all times stated, when this matter has arisen, that I hoped you would be reappointed by Judge Taft in case you desired the office. Perhaps there is no one who understands better than you the circumstances under which I resigned the Commissionership of the General Land Office and my unalterable desire to continue my law practice and be free from official life. In any event, it would be presumptuous in me to think that my name would be considered by Judge Taft in this or any similar connection. I am greatly interested, however, in seeing his administration a success and will contribute in any way I can to promote this result.

If there is anything I can do at any time to serve you, do not hesitate to command me, and I deeply appreciate your friendship and assistance in the past.

With best regards to yourself and Mrs. Garfield, in which Mrs. Ballinger joins me, I remain,

Yours, very sincerely,

R. A. BALLINGER.