Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-07-29
President Makes Strong Re-
ply to Controller Bay
Charges-Says He Order
ed Land Opened.
"DICK TO DICK" NOTE
IS "A FABRICATION
Denies Brother Was Inter-
ested in Matter-Upholds
His Action and Says That
Law Will Prevent Frauds.


Law Will Prevent Frauds
Washington, July ~. - Presiden
Taft in his special message to the sen
ate yesterday afternoon shoulderet
the full responsibility for thu
opening for settlement and the deyel
opment Of $4,000 acres Of the Chugacf
National Forest Reserve In Alaskan
incident which has come to b.
known as the Controller Bay Affair.
In concluding he brands the now IA
nous Dick to Dick" postscript as q
wicked fabrication" and says thai
Charles P. Taft, whose name appeared
in tho alleged postscript, has no in
terest In Alaska, never had, and knows
nothing of the circumstances con
nected with this transaction" More
over, the president adds, his brother
does not even remember that he ever
met Richard s. Ryan, representing
the Controller Railway & Navigation
company.
Az for eliminating the land in ques.
ton from the reserve, the president
says that there is no danger of the
Controller Railway & Navigation com
pany or any other interests monopol-
izing the field, and nothing to show
that this company Is in any way con-
nected with the Neutrality-suspicious.
interests. Hence, he believes that in
eliminating the land he has acted for
the best interests of tho nation.
10 Specific.
II wish to be as specific as possible
upon this point" says the president in
his message, "and to say that alone
am responsible for the enlargement of
the proposed elimination from $40
acres to 1880 acres, and that I pro-
posed the change and stated my rea.
sons therefor. The thing which the
territory of Alaska needs is develop
ment, and where rights and franchises
can be properly granted to encourage
investment and construct a railroad
without comforting exclusive privileges,
I believe 1t to be In accordance with
good policy to grant them
Accompanying the presidents mes
rage are documents, reports and maps
bearing on the case, as requested from
him by senate resolution of June
81 last. II deem 1t wise,' says the mas
sion Of these documents with a state
ment In narrative form of the action
OF Controller bay and environs and
therefor" Here follows a description
Of Controller Bay and environs and
ing the much 1nooted 1880 acres from
up tho thread of his narrative as con-
Germs the events that precipitated the
controversy.
Relates Incidents.
He relates how Ryan, representing
tho Controller Railway & Navigation
company, applied In 1909 for the elm
nation Of tract to enable this COM
pany to secure railroad terminals, etc.
The application was referred to the
forestry bureau and then to the navy
department with a view that perhaps
the navy desired to use Controller bay
as a reservation. The forestry inter
ests found no objection to the elimina-
ton Of the tract indicated, "or indeed"
as the president writes, ITO elimination
of $4,000 acres on the northwest shore
of Controller bay.
The navy departments answer was
negative" says the president, and af-
ter the matter had been considered by
the secretary of agriculture, by the
secretary Of the interior, and the gen.
eral land office, a recommendation was
made to him that 800 acres with a
frontage Of 100 rods on the northwest
shore of Controller bay be thrown
open. A formal order to this effect was
finally submitted to him in October,
1910, but when the matter came be-
fore the cabinet in that month he
found objection to it. His reasons for
taking this stand he explains in his
message In part as follows:
Explains His Stand.
IT expressed dissatisfaction with the
order because 1t purported on its face
to make the elimination for the benefit
OF railroad company of tract of
land which the company could not by
lawful entry secure for 1t was tract
$40 acres in one body when only 100
acres could thus be acquired In the
second place, preferred to make a
much larger elimination OF a tract
facing the entire channel. and with suf-
1icient room for terminal railway
town. ! was willing to do this because
/ found restrictions in the law suf-
1lCl0nt 10 prevent tue pOSSlDlllty or any
monopoly OF either the upland or the
harbor or channel by the Controller
Railway & Navigation company or any
other person or company. Because of
lack of time sufficient to draft a
memorandum myself, requested the
secretary of the interior, who with the
secretary Of agriculture, after full dis
cussion had agreed in my conclusion
to prepare letter setting forth the
reasons for making the larger elimina-
ton, SO that it might become part of
the record
IT wish to be as specific as possible
upon this point, and to say that l alone
am responsible for the enlargement OF
the proposed elimination from 800
acres to 1880 acres, and that | pro-
posed th9 shspge and stated my rea.