The Mena weekly star., 1911-07-13
WOMAN'S STORY
TROUBLES TAFT
Insists She Saw Compromising Let
ter in Alaska Land Steal-Presi-
dent Denies and House Asks
for Investigation.

Washington, July ga resolu-
ton requesting the president TO
furnish the house with information
as TO what, If any, representations
were made to him by Richard S.
Ryan, secret agent of the Gug-
genheim syndicate, Richard A. Bal
linger, then secretary of the inter-
ior, or Charles P. Taft, the presi-
dents brother, regarding the con-
troll of lands surrounding Controller
Bay, Alaska, was introduced today
by Representative Cox of Indiana,
Democrat.
Coincident with the introduction
Of this resolution announcement
was made that at its meeting on
Monday morning the house COM
mittee on expenditures in the in
terror department will take up the
investigation of the story of Mrs.
M. f. Abbott, the newspaper woman
who claims to have discovered the
remarkable letter in the files of the
interior department which were
thrown open to her at the request
of New York periodical.
President Taft has already in
formally denied the charge that it
is TO be investigated, and in reply
to the allegation that by ordering
the reopening of the Controller Bay
land the president has made it pos
sible for the Guggenheim syndicate
TO secure control Of the land, inter
ior department officials assert that
this would be impossible inasmuch
as the law requires the government
to reserve for its own purposes, ie--
the prevention of monopoly, alter
nate sections on all waterfront land
that is thus thrown open. 1t was
also declared yesterday that no
such letter as that alleged to have
been found by Mrs. Abbott is in the
files Of the interior department.
At the department today all the
information was refused in the alb
sence of Secretary Fisher.
The Woman's Story.
Mrs. Abbott adheres to her orig
inal story. She made this state
ment this morning:
Il have in my possession the pa
per on which I copied the post
script. As stated in my interview,
printed Friday, Secretary Fisher
had instructed Mr.. Brown, his Sec
rotary, to show me the whole rec
ord in the Controller Bay matter.
Mr.. Fisher was leaving for phila-
delphia at II o'clock and spent
that time to a quarter of four in
the afternoon going through the
records with Mr.. Brown. found a
letter from r. S. Bryan to r. A. Bal
linger dated July 10, 1910, typewrit-
ten on printed stationery at the
head of which was 81 William
street, New York. 1t was signed r.
IS. Ryan
Attached to this. letter was an
other sheet of paper which began,
Dear Dick" and which said:
Il went to see the president the
other day about this Controller Bay
affair. The president asked whom
it was | represented. told him ac-
cording to our agreement that |
represented myself. But that did
not seem to satisfy him, so ! sent
for Charlie Taft and asked him to
tell his brother who it was | really
represented. The president made
no further objection to my claim
The postscript was written with
a pen and was illegible as to one
word. | showed it to Mr. Brown
and asked him what word it was.
He said it was Agreement, so |
completed my copy of it and have
it now in my possession.
Recite Alaskan Story.
The history of the coal land tan
gle in Alaska is recited in the pre-
amble Of the resolution. Apparent
ly the conclusion is drawn that
the docking facilities at Controller
Bay make it the only available ter
minal for the proposed railroad to
transport coal to interior of the
territory. The resolution sets forth
that the presidents order has made
it possible for the Guggenhein syn
dictate to secure control of this
land by means of the land TO secure
the only railroad route and by
means of the arilway to enjoy a
practical monopoly of the great
coal resources of Alaska.
The resolution has been reefrred
to the committee on rules, which
will give it immediate attention. 1t
requests the production by the
president of all letters, kilograms
and other papers that may serve to
throw any light upon the reason
for issuing the executive order.