Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1911-08-02
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE
ON CONTROLLER BAY
Shows Falsity of Charges Alleg-
ing Improper Action.
Complete Statement of Administration s
Ac ton in This Alaskan Matter
With Reasons Therefor.

and other official documents regarding
the elimination from the Chugach
national forest of land fronting on
Controller bay, Alaska, sent to the
senate today a message in which he
gives a complete statement of the
action of the administration, With the
reasons therefor. It is one of the
most sensational MESA ges ever
written by the president.
The message shows conclusively
that the elimination was made because
the lands were not valuable for forest
purposes and also that under it any
monopoly Of the bay frontage is
absolutely impossible; that it was
approved by the forestry bureau; and
that the Ryan company is in no way
connec ted with the Morgan -Guggen-
helm interests.
A WICKED FABRICATION
But the president goes further. In
vigorous language he expresses his in
dignation at the widely published
story seeking to connect his brouner's
name with the Controller by order,
characterizing it as wicked fabrica
ton and viciUusly false statement.
His brother, he says, has never had any
interest in Alaska and had never heard
of the Controller Bay railroad. The
Dear Dick" letter had never been
written by Mr.. Ryan and never receiv-
ed by Secretary Ballinger. There
was no such letter in the department
files.
Reviewing all the facts as to this
letter the president says:
Stronger evidence of the falsity
and maliciously slanderous character
of the alleged postscript could not be
held. Its only significance is the
light it throws on the bitterness and
venom of some of those who take
active part in every discussion of
Alaskan issue. The intensity of their
desire to besmirch all who invest in
that district, and all who are officially
connected with it's administration.
operates upon the minds Of weak
human instruments and prompts to
fabrication of such false testimony as
this postscript. dislike to dwell
upon this feature of the case. but it
is so full of lesson that ought to be
taken to the heart of every patriotic
citizen that l cannot pass it over in
silence
The president expresses his full
sympathy with the concern of reason
able and patriotic men that the
valuable resources of Alaska should
not be turned over to be exploited for
the profit of greedy, absorbing and
mOnopolistic corporations or syndi-
Gates. Whatever the attempts which
have been made, no one as matter
of fact has secured in Alaska any
undue privilege or franchise not COM
plotely under the control of congress.
am in full agreement with the view
that every care, both in administration
and in Legislation, must be observed
to prevent the corrupt or unfair &C
QUESTION Of undue privilege, franchise,
or right froLl the government in that
district. But everyone must know
that the resources of Alaska can never
become valuable either to the people
of Alaska or to the public of the
United States unless reasonable
opportunity is granted to those who
II oct hnfR 70 n
a return proportionate to the risk run
in the investment and reasonable
under all the circumstances.
PROTECTED AMPLY BY LAW
The law. as he explains, prevents
the entry of claims at any point on
the shore having a greater front than
half mile, and requires that between
that and the next claim taken up
there shall be a frontage reserved to
the public and Kept in public control
of a quarter of mile.
The consequence is, he says,
that in the seven miles of the from
tage of this eliminated tract there
must be reserved for government con-
troll and use, and such disposition as
congress may see fit to make and free
from private appropriation, a frontage
agg1egating two and three fourths
miles and so distributed along the
shore in frontages of eighty rods as to
make certain of public frontage of
this width, having all the advantage
that any private frontage can have
In other words, if a tract with a
balf-mile frontage is located at a
particularly advantageous place with
reference to the harboI, then on each