Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-07-11
new ALASKA
LAND DEAL IS
INVESTIGATED
Congressional Committee
Questions Commissioner
bennett Regarding Al
legged Grab.

bennett Regarding Al
legged Grab.
Warrington, D. c., July 10.-Secre-
tary Fisher today told President Taft
that acareful search of the interior de.
partment records failed to show the
Dick to Dick" letter in which it was
alleged that Chas. p. Taft used his
influence in behalf of navigation In.
terests in Alaska to secure control OF
Controller Bay.
Secretary Fisher also told the pres.
ident that he saw the article written
by Miss Abbott before 1t was printed
and remembered no such letter in the
article.
Dennet 10 Questioned.
Commissioner Dennet, of the general
land Office and Miss M. A. Abbott, q
writer. subpoenaed as witnesses, were
present today when the house commit
tee on expenditures in the interior de-
partment began inquiry into charges Of
an alleged grab" OF valuable water
front lands on Controller Bay, Alaska,
by the Guggenheim interests. Pub
,lished charges have been made that
Richard s. Ryan of New York, who
claimed to be q secret agent OF the
Guggenheim syndicate, wrote letter
to former Secretary Of the Interior
Ballinger, declaring that he, Ryan, had
asked Charles p Taft to speak to his
brother, President Taft. about Con-
troller Bay claims and that following
this the president, made no further
objections to the mine claim. The
Ilandsis said to have been wanted rs a
terminus for railroads from the Gug-
genheim mine property.
Commissioner Dennet was summon
,ed to tell what he knew of an order by
THE president throwing the land open
Ito entry.
Mr. Dennet testified that when the
executive order opening the Controller
Bay land to entry reached his office
It contained provision under which
entrymen could not file on the land for
sixty days after the order was issued.
IN some way, he did not know how,
he said, this provision was lost or,
eliminated before the final promulga-
tion OF the order. This omission he
admitted gave great advantage to the
Ryan claimants who were on the
ground when the order reached him.
Mr.. Dennet said that the first draft,
which, In accordance with the usual
custom, was prepared at the depart
ment Of agriculture, contained the
sixty day provision but that it was not
In the order as finally signed by the
president.
s'Who struck it out?"
II do not know"
Miss Abbott claims to have made a
copy Of the alleged letter from Ryan
to Ballinger.
President Taft set his Office force to
work today investigating the Control
Ter, Bay affairs. All four of the de-
partments interested were requested
to make Investigations and make re-
ports. The Controller Bay and Chas.
p. Taft letter files were searched for
Z letter to the president from his
brother in regard to this matter. "A
telegram has been sent to Charles P.
Taft's secretary at Cincinnati asking
that an inquiry for such letter be made
there. Mr.. Taft said that he had
never discussed r. s. Ryan or Control
Ter Bay with his Brother and had re-
ceived no letter SO far as he could
remember. At the white house, 1t
was said that there had been no
secrecy or anything unusual in the
order opening Controller Bay to entry.
The matter was passed upon by the
cabinet in regular form, it was stated.
No Letter In White House Files.
It was stated at the white house to-
day that careful search of the files
In the executive ohices failed to reveal
any record OF letter to the president
from Charles p. Taft concerning Ryan
or bearing in any way upon the Con-
troller Bay affair.
No Trace Of Letter In Taft Files.
Cincinnati, O., July 10.-At the re-
quest Of President Taft, the letter
FILES OF his brother, Charles p. Taft,
were searched here today for trace of
possible correspondence with the pres,
lent, r. s. Ryan or other persons re-
;arding Controller Bay affairs or
alaskan lands. No letter bearing upon
che subjects was found.
SEE HIDING REHIND