The Washington times., 1911-11-29
FAMOUS LETTER
MAY Be BURIED
IN ALASKA CASE
Noted "Dick to Dick" Epis-
tie Ignored in Dropping
Investigation.
Continued from First Page.)

the President that afterward were
qualified by this telegram, and Mr..
Rsap ens S sd er make ass ans hs aYs
now assured of getting his patents.
Secretary Fisher speaks of the PEN
dency OF MIR. Ryan's claims; but Com
testified that Mr.. Ryan's claim was in
defeasible IL he filed with good scrip,
and there Is no reason to doubt that he
The case stands, tlsn, thus: That
Chairman Graham doesn't know about
| the Dick to Dick letter, but he does
insist that Mr.. Ryan did have the ad-
| the lands would be opened, and that
was just what he sought from the
White House.
asserted she saw It in the files of the
| Interior Department. nobody wants to
talk much about that aspect.
the committee, thoroughly questioned
Miss Abbott spending many hours go
ing over her story and testing 1t In
every way possible. 1t is known that
partment who were in position to know
something about that file, insisted that
there never was such a letter. 1t Is
known that the charge has been made
| that Miss Abbott must have been hoax
ed by the inclusion In the hle. for her
special edification, Of bogue letter,
or else that she must have invented or
| imagined II.
Among these theories no effort is
made by the Investigators to decide
which Is correct. The sensational
charges connected with the publication
OF the alleged letter did bring from the
President received Mr.. Ryan and heard
his plea for his Controller Bay rroJect
II brought out Senate Document n,
which shows that Mr.. Ryan had some
assurances about tie withdrawal OF the
| land, before it actually was withdrawn
from the forest: 1t brought out the tele-
gram later, explaining that Mr.. Ryan
must take his chances IL he went ahead
with his plans In advance OF the with
6rawal tf the lands; and. finally, 1t
shows that Mr.. Ryan now has the
ianos.
Value of Bay Disputed.
Whether Contro o'ier Bay is as valu-
able harbor as has been maintained
by some remains n question Of opinion.
Clifford Pinchot, who. went to Alask a
last summer. concluded that 1t was very
valuable and strategicaliy important.
Secretary Fisher appraised It much
. lower.
Miss Abbott herself is in New. York
at present, and 1t is understood heS
story Of the whole affair later will b,
Mr.. Brandeis and Chairman James M
Graham, of the investigating committee
make perfectly clear that their invest
cation. in their belief. forced the Ad
, Alaska policy. SO they feel that theil
work Is fully justified. and the sui
stantial results that were wanted hav,
been secured.
On the other hand the Administration
Is relieved of the prospect of furthe,
inquisition into the Dick to Dick let
ter affair. 1t will be, recalled that thi.
letter. and the question of whether 4
ever really existed, was made for &
time the seeming crux OF the whole
AFFAIR.
Tho "Dick To Dick" Episode.
Miss Maybelle r. Abbott a magazin
Investigator, reported finding in the In
terror Department files letter from
, Mr.. Ryan to the then Secretary Bal
linger; a formal note, to which, how
ever na. was attached ,,"n very Ipforma
; that Mr.. Ryan had seen President Taft
/, the President was not satisfied abou
a Mr.. Ryan's hackers, and finally MI
3 Ryan got Charles =. Taft to see tn
s President and explain the whole situa
: ton to him; after which Mr.. Ryan wa
t alleged to have said. the President with
drew his objections.
! Miss Abbott told a circumstantial an
detailed story of finding this note. Blu
!, when the files were examined after pub
a lication Of her story the note was no
there. The mystery of whether the not
old or Old not exist probably, now
8 never will be solved. The people in
: volved have all deEied 1t. while Mis-
o Abbott has stuck consistently to he
story
Brandeis' Letter.
Mr. Brandeis' letter to Chairman Ora
: ham follows:
Between July 10 and 20. 1911, you
=, committee held five public hearings i
!. which Some inquiry was made into tn
elimination from the Chugach Nations
Forest In Alaska of land fronting o
u Controller Bay in order to enable tn
/ Controller Railroad and Navigate
Q Company, Of which Richard s. Ryan
president to make entry upon the sam
= fer railroad terminal and townsite pui
Ia poses. -
y tee had concluded its Investigations, tn
= President, in response to an earlier resc
e luton of the Senate, sent to that boo
d a message, accompanied by voluminou
s. executive and department document
relating to the subject.
e shortly thereafter bills providing fc
If the development and safeguarding
l. Alaska resources were introduced in II
Is House and Senate. The Robinson
T. Works bill, supported by the Nation;
n Conservation Association, provided II
,e the leasing of coal lands In Alaska ar
E. Government control of transportation
The Poindexter bill carried the prote
h ton of Alaskan resources still furthe