The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1911-07-12
TAF 7 DISTURBED.
Is Worried Over Charges
Against Brother ChlrIeS.
COMPLAINT MADE BY GIRL.
Youthful Writer Alleges She Saw "Dick
to Dick" Letter In Alaskan Coel
Land Case, but White House
Fails to Find Trace of Ii.

Washington, July 11.-An extraordi
nary situation has developed from the
publication of the so called "Dick TO
Dick" letter, purporting to bring the
name of Charles P. Taft. the prcsi-
dents brother, into the Alaskan coal
land controversy.
Miss NJ. f. Abbott, a youthful writer.
who was graduated from Radcliffe col.
lege only few years ago, stands
ready to take the witness chair before
house committee and testify under
oath that she saw the "Dick to Dick"
letter in the interior department files
and took 1t down word for word
She already has laid before the house
committee on expenditures in the in
terror department, which Is investigat-
ing the matter, n memorandum she
represents as her original notes on this
letter.
On the other hand. Walter Fisher.
the newly appointed secretary of the
interior, declares all employees who
have access to the files deny they ever
heard of the letter until Miss Abbott
published it.
The White House. which has been
considerably disturbed over the incl
dent. also discredits the insinuation
that Charles p. Taft took any active
interest in the Alaskan coal land situ-
alton.
The letter Miss Abbott declares she
copied from the records of the depart
ment ptIrports to have been written by
Richard S. Ryan. a New York pro-
moter who has been represented.
against his protest. as an agent Of the
Guggenheim syndicate, to Richard A.
Ballinger then secretary of the inte-
rior The letter. as Miss Abbott says
she copied 1t. is as follows:
Dear Dick-I went to see the president
the other day about this Controller bay
affair. The president asked me whom |
represented. told him. according to our
agreement, that l represented myself. but
that did not seem to satisfy him, so l sent
for Charlie Taft and asked him to tell his
brother who 1t was I represented. The
president made no further objections to
my claim. Yours. DICK.
Political opponents of President Taft
with whom Miss Abbott has been in
close touch seek to insinuate from this
letter that President Taft was influ-
enced by his brother TO withdraw from
the Chuach forest reserve the land
along Controller bay, in Alaska. thus
giving Ryan an opportunity to file his
entries.
Ryan did. in fact, enter upon this
land soon after it was withdrawn, and
Mr.. Taft's enemies have contended
that Ryan represented the Guggen-
helms and that the grabbing" of this
wafer front If unchecked would give
them practical monopoly of the Alas
ka coal lands. as 1t was the only place
not already held by them where coal
could be transported to the coast and
shipped profitably.
Secretary Fisher called at the White
House and went over the develop
ments with the president, who imme-
diately ordered a search of the letter
files for any communication from
Charles p. Taft concerning the at
tempt of r. s. Ryan to secure land on
Controller bay. After a two hours
search the announcement was made
that no reference was made in any Of
Charles p. Taft's letters to the presl-
dent Of Ryan. and the president could
not recall that his brother ever had
mentioned the subject to him.
At the instance of the White House,
Charles p. Taft's secretary in Cincin-
natl was instructed to search his let
ter files for any communications to
the president or passing between
Charles p. Taft and Ryan.
A telegram was received in Wash
ington saying that no mention was
made Of Ryan in any Of Charles P.
Taft's letters on file In Cincinnati.
Charles p. Taft himself is In Europe
with his family.
Ashman Brown, former secretary of
Mr.. Ballinger and who was retained
for several weeks in that capacity by
! Secretary Fisher, denies he ever saw
the "Dick to Dick" letter and also
many statements that are attributed
to him by Miss Abbott in her article.
Miss Abbott says Brown showed her
the Controller bay record at the direc-
| ton of Secretary Fisher