Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-15
RAPS ALASKA PROBE
Minority Report on Controller
Bay Charges Reaches House.
FEELING OF MEMBERS PLAIN
Chairman Graham and Majority
Scored for Not Getting to Bottom
Of Dick to Dick Letter.
FEELING OF MEMBERS PLAIN

The minority report Of the House
committee on expenditures in the In
terror Department on the recently con-
cluded investigation Of the Controller
bay controversy was submitted to the
House today. The report is signed by
all three republican members of the
committee Representatives Burke of
South Dakota, Mondell Of Wyoming and
Hanna Of North Dakota
The minority scores Chairman Graham
and the other democratic members of
the committee for their refusal to in
vestigate the origin and motive Of the
mysterious Dick to Dick" letter, which
reflected on President Taft
Quoting Chairman Graham as saying.
in the early stages Of the committees
Investigation. that he considered the
Dick to Dick letter as the motive
power which set the machinery in mo-
tion," the minority report says:
Scores Majority Members.
IAN honest desire to obtain the truth
would have prompted thorough investi-
cation with q view Of ascertaining what
foundation, If any, there might be for the
statement that there existed a commune
cation such as the Dick to Dick letter.
If 1t is fabrication or q forgery, or be-
Smirches the good name of the President
and the purpose of its publication was
to cast discredit upon him and his ad-
vestigated. If such a thing is tolerated
it will encourage others to repeat the Of
tense, and in our opinion thorough In
quiry should be made for the purpose
Of exposing those who were guilty of it's
inception and some punishment meted out
to them to deter others who may en-
ploy falsehood and duplicity in assailing
official character.
The action of the majority Of the COM
mittee in refusing to make a searching
or any investigation whatever Of the
matter can have but one effect, that Of
shielding the perpetrator of the libel and
throwing protection around whoever
through malice inspired the cowardly at
tack upon the President.
The minority members say that the re-
port submitted by the majority contains
a number of serious inaccuracies.
Former Report Not Upheld.
1.-The statement" says the report.
that a former and recent investigation
Of Alaska conditions indicated that the
public money was being expended in
such way as to allow certain great
and powerful interests to exploit Alaska
for private gain. Is not supported by the
report made as a result of that investi-
cation. as the report proves conclusively
the contrary. The suggestion that this
investigation should be abandoned be-
cause Of alleged change of views on the
part Of those charged with the admins
tration of Alaska affairs, is not only
without merit if it We're true, but 1t Is
based on a misstatement Of the facts.
The administration and officials of the
Interior Department do not hold or pro-
mulgate different views now with regard
to Alaska than they held at the time
this investigation began.
We find it difficult to express in parlia
mentary language" the report continues.
our condemnation of the action of the
of the committee in vitalizing
charge based upon a contemplate fabri
cation or forgery by beginning an investi-
cation. thereby giving notoriety and wide
publicity to the charge, and then refusing
to proceed with it, and delaying without
any action for several months, and then
abandoning it without any effort or at
tempt to ascertain the truth.
Should Exonerate President.
1T would seem that common decency,
if not justice, would have demanded some
Investigation for the purpose Of exposing
those responsible for this outrageous con-
spiracy, if not willing to exonerate for
partisan reason, the President of the
United States and other high officials
from the unjust and cruel charge that
has been made against them.
And SO the whole fabric of fabrica
ton, suspicion and outright falsehood on
which the investigation was based falls
to the ground The conspiracy expected
to bolster UP and revive the agitation Of
Alaskan matters, which has so long
served certain political purposes, becomes
a boomerang to plague and discredit
those who were instrumental in 1naugu-
rating it.
The officers Of the government having
to do with the matter in question have
been completely exonerated in the minds
Of every one familiar with the facts of
any wrongdoing and are shown to have
been proceeding not only according to
law. but in the public interest: while the
majority Of the committee, abandoning
the claims and charges with which the
investigation opened. are found express
ing views favorable to a monopoly of
Alaskan coal transportation by the very
syndicate they have claimed to hold in
adherence"