Omaha daily bee., 1911-07-27

4
Graves the forester, he explains, and he
quotes letter of Mr.. Graves to the effect
that when a comparatively small area Is
eliminated from a national forest the
executive order is very commonly used in
stead of a proclamation.
As to the charge made on the floor of the
senate that the order was secret, the presi-
dent says. "This was utterly unfounded.' -
In support Of this, he says that ten days
before the order was made the details OF
Ryan's application and the probability Of
its being granted were given wide publi-
city. He cites in this respect that the AS
ISOLATED Press carried an account Of the
matter October Is, 1910. as taken from a
typewriter statement issued by the In
terror department.
Alleged Haste Explained.
The order has also been criticised, he
says, on the ground that It did not con-
tain provision delaying it's taking effect
for thirty days after its publication, as
orders restoring land to settlement by
homesteaders frequently do. In this respect
the president says, IAN examination of
the record furnishes an explanation of this
feature OF the order made. When In Oc-
tober the two departments had agreed
be an elimination OF only $40 acres. - it
was deemed wise to spread on the face of
the order a specific declaration that 1t was
made to afford terminals for the Con-
, troller Railway and Navigation company,
and as no one else was expected to inter-
vene and take up any part of the elimi-
mated tract, the restoration was made inn
mediate. The form thus amended was sub
mitted to the secretary of agriculture,
who expressed his preference for the i'm
mediate restoration order When 1 directed
the striking out of the reference to the
railway company and the enlargement of
the area from 400 acres TO 1880 acres. the
form Of the order in its provision for i'm
mediate restoration was not changed. l
have no doubt that this was the reason
why the order issued took the form 1t
did. Had the postponement clause been
suggested, / would, doubtless, have d.
rected 1t to be embodied in the order But
the event has proven that 1t was really
not important In this case, for in now
nearly nine months only the Controller
Railway and Navigation company has
made any scrip entries on the eliminated
tract"
"Dick to Dick" Fabrication.
Taking up the "Diok to Dick" episode
the president says in conclusion!
Before closing. I desire to allude to a
circumstance which the terms of this reso-
luton make apt and relevant 1t is a state
ment by one Miss NJ F Abbott that in an
examination, Of the files of the Interior
department few weeks ago, she found a
postscript attached to a letter of July, 10,
1910 addressed by Mr.. Richard s. Ryan to
Secretary Ballinger-and in the present
record-urging the elimination of land
enough for terminals for the Controller
Railway and Navigation company. The
postscript was said to read as follows:
Dear d.: went to see the president
represented. told him according to nS our
agreement, that l represented myself But
this didn't seem TO satisfy him. So 1 sent
brother, the president, who II was really
represented. The president made no fur
Their objections to my claim. Yours,
THE postscript is not now on THE files
of the department. If 1t were 1t would be
my duty TO transmit 1t under this resolu-
ton. do not transmit It, not only for the
reason that 1t is not now on the files Of
the department but for the reason that II
never was on the files of the department,
at least as an authentic document. Who is
really responsible for it's wicked fabrication
Ia II ever existed, or for the viciously false
statement made as to Its authenticity, Is
immaterfal for the purpose Of this COM
munication. The purport OF the post
script is. and the intention Of the fabrica-
| tor was, to make Mr.. Richard S. Ryan
testify through its words to the public
that although I was at first opposed in
the public interest to granting the eIlnnina-
ton which he requested, nevertheless
through the undue influence Of my brother
Mr.. Charles p. Taft, and the disclosure OF
the real persons in interest. I was induced
Improperly and for the promotion OF Their
private gain, to make the order.
Bother Knows Nothing of IL.
THE statement. insofar as my brother
lie concerned-and that Is the chief feature
/ OF the postscript-is utterly unfounded He
| never wrote to me in reference TO Richard
| 5. Ryan or on the subject OF Controner
| Bay or the granting Of any privileges OF
the making OF any orders in respect tc
I Alaska. He has no interest In Alaska.
never had. and knows nothing OF the cir
eumstanees connected with this trasaction.
| He does not remember that he ever met
Richard s. Ryan. He never heard Of the
Controller Bay railroad until my cable
gram OF inquiry reached him. which, with
his answer, is in the record.
Mr.. Ballinger says In a telegram in an
swer to my inquiry. both of which are
In the record. that he never received such
postscript and that he was in Seattle
on the date Of July Is. when It was said
to have been written.
Mr.. Richard s. Ryan. in a letter which
he has sent me without solicitation, and
which is in the record. says that he never
met my brother Mr.. Charles p. Taft, and
that so far az he knows, Mr.. Charles p
Taft never had the slightest interest in
Controller Bay, IN the Controller Railway
a Navigation company. or in any Alaskan
company. and he utterly denies writing OF
signing the alleged postscript. The utter
| improbability OF his writing such a post
script to Mr.. Balinger at Washington
when the latter was away for his vaca-
ton for two months. must impress every
| one.
The fact Il that Mr.. Ballinger never
saw the letter OF July Is. 1910. to which
this postscript Is said to have been at
taehed. II was sent to me by Mr.. Carr
Secretary Baliingers private secretary, al
Beverly. on July 1.-the next day. I read