The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-07-09
House Asks Taft for Infor- nation About Control
 Ter Bay Matter
BALLINGER AND c. P. TAFT ARE MENTIONED
Guggenheim Syndicate Secured Con- trol Through Their Represents tiOns, Is Intimation of
 Congressman Cox

Washington, July S.-Published charges that the President has been induced by three persons-his brother, the Secretary of the Interior Ballinger and Richard s. Ryan of New York, a representative of the ouggenheim interests-to restore to the public domain lands surrounding Con troller bay, in southern Alaska, met with quick action in Congress today | The House committee on expenditures, head by Representative Graham of H. | linois, immediately summoned Commis- sioner Dennet of the general land of- | flee, to appear before the committee Mon- l day to explain what he knows about the | matter, and Representative Cox of In diana. one of the democratic leaders of 1 the House, introduced resolution cali ing on President Taft for all the informa- tion he can furnish the House on the subject
 This information is to include the req son why he signed the order of restora- tion after the land had been set aside as reserve and whether he knew Ryan was working in the interest of the Gug- genheims.
  to furnish the House with information as to what if any representation was made to him by Richard Ryan of New York, secret agent or the Guggenheim syndicate" Richard A Ballinger then secretary of the interior or Charles P Taft, the Presidents 8 brother, regarding control of lands sur rounding Controller Bay, Alaska, was in- troduced today by Representative Cox of Indiana, democrat.
 The House committee on expenditures in the interior department at special meeting today decided to conduct an in vestigation into the Controller Bay mat ter. The investigation will begin Monday. A subpoena was issued to Commissioner Dennett of the general land office. The Cox resolution requests President Taft to submit all papers and information in his possession relating to his executive order of July 2S, 1s1O restoring to pub lie domain the lands surrounding Con- troller Bay
 It sets forth published charges intimat- ing that Ryan, through Secretary Bal finger and Charles P Taft. induced the President of the United States to sign the order.
 It points out that through this order the Guggenheim syndicate ''has now or will get control of Controller Bay or harbor,' and requests the President to advise the House whether Messrs. Ryan and Bal finger and Charles P. Taft induced him I+. .e;rx tb Coptro1lar Ray
 land to public domain, which previously had been set aside as a national forest reserve, and whether the President had information that Ryan was working in the interest of the Guggenheim syndicate.
 Will Be Pushed
 T am going to push this resolution" Representative Cox said. "If the rules committee fails to act, I will bring 1t up on the floor of the House. There Is some thing radically wrong about the whole transaction. Backed by the refusal of the government to allow the Cunningham coal land claims this gang in Wall street evidently is determined to secure control of this coal land. They filed on the Controller bay land, the only available harbor through which the Alaskan coal can be shipped. before the government could even have it surveyed after the Presidents order withdrawing it from the Chugash reserve. Failing to secure the land they have now gone after the only means of transportating coal, and with railroad from the coal lands to Controller bay they could absolutely dictate to the owners of the coal land"
 Representative Graham, chairman of the interior department expenditures commit tee, also has been looking into the mat ter Commissioner Dennet will be asked Monday regarding an alleged letter Of Richard s. Ryan to Mr. Ballinger declar- ing that Charles P. Taft spoke to the President about the Controller bay land.
 Ballinger Asserts Innocence
 Seattle, Wash. July S.--Former Secre- tary of the Interior Richard A.. Ballinger today received the Washington dispatch concerning Representative Coxs resolu- tion, and said:
 "No representation was ever made to the President by me in the interest of Richard s. Ryan or any syndicate in con- nection with land at Controller bay, but did advise President Taft not to release the lands sought for terminal facilities. I recommended thta if any landl were elinl- mated from the national forest they should be eliminated as far as the entire frontage of Controller bay was concerned, in body, leaving to operate the law which reserves every alternate 80 rods of water front to the government.
 "So far as MT. Ryan is concerned. I never had any business dealings with him."
 According to the belief that obtains here and in Alaska, Ryan, in his efforts to obtain railroad terminals at Controller bay has been working in the interest of I, Inulish svndicata