Omaha daily bee., 1911-07-28
PINCHOT REPLIES TO TAFT
CONTINUED from First Pase.)

= t3' CONTINUED from t1rSt RABe.)
tional forest made them fully and promptly
available under lease for every proper use,
yet held them subject to governmental SUI
pervision and control.
1.-THE president is right when he says
that what Alaska needs is development.
but no legitimate development Of the har-
Dor front on Controller bay has been and
can be proposed that could not proceed
as well and as rapidly under suitable
lease on government land as on private
land. So long as these terminal lands. re-
manned in government ownership no one
could monopoize the harbors. The mo-
ment any of them passed into private
hands the danger of monopoly began. The
fact remains and the public will not forget
that before the executive order of October
| Is, Controller bay was both available for
development and safe against monopoly.
Now It is no longer safe This is abundantly
proved not only by the general history
of commercial consolidation, but in parti-
cular by what the Morgan-Guggenheim
| syndicate has already cone in destroying
or absorbing possible competitors.
Ryan Surveyors Already There.
'"The president denies that In granting
Ryan's request for the opening OF Con-
| troller bay by the executive order OF
october 2S there was any element of
secrecy and quotes press dispatch Of the
same date announcing his action. But
Mr.. Taft does not mention that on the
day he signed the order and notified the
press in Washington, Ryan's surveying
party was already in Alaska and that by
November /, or four days after the order
was made and before the government Off
Gals in Alaska had been notified Of the
order, they had begun survey OF the
Ryan claims on Controller bay.
'sThe omission of the customary thirty
days notice to the public that the land
would be open 10 entry gave Ryan what
he wanted 1t cut off all chances for any
competitor to locate on the terminal lands
until after Ryan had made his selections,
| No amount of newspaper notice to the
country after the executive order was
signed could in any respect interfere with
the pre-arranged work OF .Ryan's agent or
! enable any rival 10 enter a foot OF land
ON Controller bay except what was not
wanted by the people whom Ryan repre-
scented. II was like locking the stable after
the horse was gone II the order had been
i wholly secret the effect could not have
been different.
ut Is possible that the protests already
made may yet save the situation. But In
any, case II is unfortunate that the friends
Of conservation in their efforts TO bring
about the development OF Alaska for the
people, are continually obliged to spend
their strength against the men who ough
10 be the protectors of the peoples prop
erty. 1t looks to me like unnecessary dup
lication OF work when we must first figh
the policeman before you can get chance
to stop the looting."'
CabIeRrnm from Charles y. Taft.
WASHINGTON. July N.-A cablegran
from Charles p. Taft. brother OF the presi
dent denying that he was interested ii
Alaska or in Controller bay and declar
ing that he never asked the president 70
any favors for Richard 8. Ryan. was mad
; public at the white House today. II reads
'Tro the President White House. Wash
Ington, ID. c.: Have. just returned from
: motor trip 10 Cornwall and Devon AM
find your cable / may have met Ryal
casually, but do not remember him
know nothing about Controller Railway an
l Navigation company. l have never had an
interests direct or indirect, In that com
pany or any other company doing bushes
in Alaska am not interested in any land
In Alaska. / never applied to you orall
or In writing 20 give a hearing In sue
lease or grant such privileges neve