New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-07-22
CONTROLLER BAY FAKE
SUDDENLY EXPLODES
Investigating Committee SuS-
ponds Hearings, and May
Not Resume Them.
CHAIRMAN HAS HEADACHE
That Is One of the Reasons Given,
but Scandal Hunters May
Have Learned What Pres
ident Taft Will Say.
From The Tribune Bureau. J

resumed for two months If at all
There are couple Of real reasons and
feigned one for the cessation of activity
and the explosion Of the fake.
Despite the secrecy with which Presl-
dent Taft has endeavored TO guard his
answer to the Controller Bay charges
supplying information called for IN the
PondcYter resolution, it is apparent TO-
night that the House committee in some
manner must have obtained an intlma %
ton Of the conclusiveness of the Presi-
dents refutation Of the fake story con-
corning the alleged Controller Bay erao'
The committee suddenly developed an
aggravated case of cold feet
The most charitable view ~ the COM
mittees abrupt determination 10 aban-
don the hearings Us IN assume mat u
wants 10 give Louis y. Brandeis. its at
torney, opportunity to make specta'u-
lar appearance i'm October. Mr.. Brandels
can hardly come To Washington before
that time, II is said.
ne fOIIlfUlllF' lir'lif
nished the most diverting explanation OF
WHY the hearing scheduled Tor To-Day
was not held and why the hearings were
adjourned Hsubiect to the call OF the
chairman" That explanation, given by
the secretary TO the committee, was de-
signed to be convincing. II was
chairman Graham has A headacAe
and Delegate Wickersham, OF Alaska -
not ready 10 testify, so therell he no ses-
sion to-day The hearings VIII be re-
sumed soon-maybe.'
Those who have watched the desperate
efforts OF the committee 10 bolster up
the fake Dick to- Dick" postscript can
best explain the explosion that occurreu
to-day. II appears to be either case
NJ "coId feet or headache that may
Iinger with the chairman until Octobe''
hut an added incentive for the sudden
abandonment Of the investigation douot-
less is Secretary Fishers gentle put e.
foctivo hint that the department stands
ready 10 prosecute for perjury any VIII
ness who swears falsely in the inquiry
T, ba. been apparent for days that the
committee could not substantial uhue'
oath rho reckless charges made. Still
another reason for the abandonment Is
n he found in the appointment OF KEEP
rosentatiye Burke 70 the committee IN
which that keen and alert statesman
chairman Graham, found more than his
match.
or course the growing indisposition or
Miss M.F. Abbott, the star WITNESS
IN swear to the accusation she mas maue
embarrassed the committee and prompt
cd its Democratic manipulators 10 ha't
proceedings for while. Meanwhile the
President will send TO the Senate a mes
sage which will completely retute tne
entire scheme TO discredit the admits
tration and any person who has had
hand in the development Of Alaskan re-
sources. After having read this message
the House committee will probably fold
IN its maps and charts and fake charges
and steal away TO forget the Incident.
The investigating committee adjourned
Yesterday To meet at the Usual hour to-
day. Witnesses who have been waiting
around for days 10 be called were prom
ised that they would be definitely in
formed when their testimony would be
heard. At the appointed hour this morn
ing the newspaper men and attending
witnesses we're told that there would be
no hearing to-day. Chairman Graham
was not at his office and his secretary
made the explanation.
The Official Explanation.
"The chairmay has a headache and.
besides, Delegate Wickersham isn't ready
to take the stand" said the secretary.
Il don't know when the. committee will
meet again-maybe in few days
No reference was made to the fact that
Ashmun Brown, former private secretary
TO Secretary Ballinger; Don NJ. Carr. as
sistant TO Secretary Fisher Richard S.
RYAN. reputed author ot the mythical
"Dick-to- Dock letter, and Miss Abbott
who SAYS she saw such a letter, but
won't swear TO il, were i'm call and have
been on hand tn. testify for days. Nor
was an explanation forthcoming az to
Delegate Wickersham's unreadiness.
Early this week it WAS said that the
delegate, who denounces things Alaskan
and the Guggenheims on every occasion
and who also opposes leasing and other
conservation measures for Alaska would
al VII ctand Mr. NiCLor-
sham appeared regularly at the commit
toe room but he wasn't called, and to-
day Il developed that he had suddenly
become "unready."
The Republican members Of the Con-
nfttee on Expenditures in the Interior
Department We're not advised that the
Democratic clique had decided that the
hearings should be dropped. Represcn-
tattve Burke, tho Republican member
who went on the committee only yester-
day. succeeding Representative Catlin,
who has been NJ for weeks. know moth
inc of tho plans until the meeting hour
this morning.
Don't ask me why the hearings have
been postponed said Mr.. Burke. II
learn that tho Republican members of
the committee do not share the conf
dence OF the Democrats who seem To be
running the AFFAIR. / suppose Brandeis
isn't ready, or that the majority mem
bcrs have decided among themselves
that there are other good reasons for not
continuing with the investigation lust
now"
MIR. Burke's selection as a member of
the committee is regarded as fortunate
from the point of view of the minori.v