The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1911-07-13
CAN IFINDLETTER
Search in Vain For Dick
to Dick" Note.
COMMITTEE STARTS PROBE
Vain Search in Interior Department
For Epistle Rejecting on Taft
in the Controller Bay
Land Deal.
COMMITTEE STARTS PROBI

Washington, July IL. - Secretary
Fisher told President Taft that care
full search of the interior department
records failed to show the Dick 10
Dick" letter in which It was alleged
that .. p. Taft used his influence In
behalf of the Guggenheim interests In
Alaska to secure control OF Controller
bai
Secretary Fisher also told the presi-
dent that he saw the article written
b. Hiss Abbott before it was printed
and remembered no such letter in the
article.
Published charges have been made
that Richard S. Ryan. of New York,
alleged to be secret agent of the
Guegenheim syndicate, wrote a letter
to the then secretary of the interior.
Richard A. Ballinger. declaring that
he tRyan) had asked Charles =. Taft
to speak to his brother President
Taft, about the Controller bay claims
II was further charged that following
this the president made no further
ohjec lions % my claim
Secretary Fisher told the president
that a careful search of interior de-
partment records failed to show this
alleged "Dick to Dick" letter. Mr.
Fisher also told the president that he
saw the article. containing the charge,
written by Miss NJ +. Abbott. before
IL was printed and remembered no
such letter in the article.
Miss Abbott has declared that she
saw the Dick to Dick" letter in the
department files and Transcribed il
with other notes regarding Controller
bay. Both she and Fred s. bennett.
commissioner of the general land Of.
fee. appeared before the house com
mittee on expenditures in the interior
department, which has charge Of the
investigation into the circumstances
surrounding the opening to entry Of
the Controller bay lands by the presi-
dent.
The land is said to have been want
ed as a terminus for railroads from
the Guggenheim mine properties. and
il is asserted that these railroads
could thereby dominate the entire
Alaskan coal field.
It was also stated at the White
House that a careful search OF the
files In the executive Offices failed to
reveal any record of a letter to Presl-
dent Taft from Charles p. Taft con
corning Ryan or bearing in any way
upon the Controller bay afair
Immediately following his return to
Washington. President Taft had set
his office force to work to investigate
the Controller bay affair. All four Of
the departments interested were re-
quested TO make Investigations and re-
port any information that might be
found.
4 telegram kgas dispatched TO
Charles =. Taft's secretary at Cincin-
natl asking that an inquiry for such
letter be instituted there. The presl-
dent said that he had never discussed
r. S Ryan or Controller bay with his
brother and had received no letter so
far rs he could remember
II is explained that r. S. Ryan, rep
resenting the Controller Bay Naviga.
tior company. obtained a frontage Of
eighty rods on Controller bay. The
government retained every other
eighty rods OF the water front on the
bay. making. the department officials
declare. a monopoly impossible.
AT the White House II was said that
n ere had been no secrecy or anything
Unusual in the order opening Con
tloller bay to entry The subject was
decided upon by the cabinet in regu
lat form. il was stated.