The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1910-03-26
GUGGUkHEIMS' CONTROL
OF ALASKAN AFFAIRS
Managing Director Of Syndicate
Tells Of Vast Operations In
Acquiring Mineral Lands
(By Associated Press)

w usllHB tbu, AuICu % Ht DdI
linger-Pinchot inquiry was resumed
after an Adjournment of practically
two weeks, the session S Of last FIJI.
Gay and Saturday having been seri
ously interfe.ed with by the fight
against Speaker Cannon in the house
of representatives.
As soon as the committee met AT.
torney { andeis, representing Louis
H. CLAWS and others, spTang a sur
Prise by requesting that Secretary OF
the Interior Ballinger be called as one
of his Witnesses. Mr., Rrandeis stat
ed at first thar he wished 10 identity
BIZ Mr. Ballinger two letters that he
desired TO introduce in evidence at
this time Questioned further by
members of the committee as to his
intent, he admitted he desired to con
duct a general examination OF the
accused cabinet official Counsel for
Mr.. Ballinger objected 10 this and call
ed forth from Mr. Brandeis the re-
mark that from his letters he had al
ways supposed Mr. Ballinger to be
ready to appear whenever AMI as OF
ter as any one connected with the
inquiry desired
Some members Of the committee
seemed to think that Mr. Ballinger
as the person most Interested in the
injury should have opportunity to
make his statement first in his own
way and not subject himself TO cross
examination before being examined
ia chief The matter was passed over
temporarily to be decided later in exc
Cutiye session
The witness stand was occupied
during the entire day by stephen
Rirch, managing director Of the Nor
gunCuggeuheim syndicate in Alaska.
1t was thought at first that Mr.
Birch's testimony would be largely
perfunctoty in character and would
follow the lines of his statement re-
Gently made before the senate COM
nattee on territories. Members OF
The committee, however, became deep
/ interested in the operations OF the
Alaska syndicate and they piled the
witness with questions from every
possible angle. Much of the question
ing was intended to show that the
Guggenheims practically control Alas
ka. Mr.. Birch stoutly denied this.
"Well,9 lie was asked by Represen-
tatiye Graham. 'if the Guggenheims
GOT control of the lands Of Alaska
what would there be left?'
Mr.. Birch said he did not think
tiis was a fair question to ask him
lie admitted that the Guggenheim in
lerests were laege. that they had in
vested some st5,000,0G0 already and
Lad contracted for the expenditure OF
other millions. There had been no
returns from these investments as
yet. But the syndicate had hopes
As to the Cunningham claims, Mr.
birch produced the option which a
committee of the claimants had CIV
eu 10 Daniel Guggenheim July 20,
1907. lie declare that this option
lad been accepted by the Guggen-
teims December 7 of that year. The
claimants, however, had never lived
un to its terms. Cunningham, he said
ii January or February. 1908, had
ccntended that the Guggenhems
themselves had vOided the option by
changing their railroad base from
hatalla 20 Cordova, and that furth-
ermote, the option was of no effect
lccause a majority of the claimants
lad never ratified il.
Nj. Brandeis sought to show that
he Morgans and Guggenheims, with
aeir great power and influence in
"A rs country must have brought this
/. 1uencirg power to bear during The
pGst two years in an effort to get pat
eEts granted to the Cunningham claim
ants MI Birch declared however
tlat he knew of no such efforts hay
Ing been made.
"What could we have done?' he pro
tested
"Ah. Mr. Birch, you can answer thai
far better than l., dramatically ex
claimed Mr. Brandeis