Omaha daily bee., 1911-07-11
. Commissioner bennett Testifies that
Document Was Amended After
Il Left His Hands.
srxTY-DAY CLAUSE STRICKEN OUT
Gave Great Advantage to Claimants
Already on Ground.
PREPARED BY THE DEPARTMENT
He Does Not Know Who Dropped Pro-
vision from Order.
CHARGE AGAINST THE PRESIDENT
Magazine writer Alleges that order
wns Issued In Response 90 Re-a
usest Made by Charles l0i
y. Taft. -,

WASHINGTON. July 10. Secretary
Fisher today told President Tsft that a
careful search OF the Interior department
records failed to show the Dick to Dick
letter. in whichsit was alleged that =. p
Taft uyfd h's Influence in behalf of naviga-
tion interests in Alaska to secure control
oD .t. Jay.
Secretary Fisher also told the president
that he saw the article written by Mss
Abbott before Il was printed and remem-
bored no such letter in the article
II was stated at the White House that a
careful search Of the files in the executive
offices failed 10 reveal any record of a
letter 10 the president from Charles p.
Taft concerning Ryan or bearing In any
way upon the Controller bay affair
The most important development Of the
Investigation Of the case by the house
committee oi the Interior department to-
day was the testimony OF Commissioner
bennett of the geneyal land office that the
claimants represented by Richard s. Ryan
OF New York. said to represent the Gug-
genheim interests, had benefited by the
omission OF one provision IN the final Off
cial papers.
Mr.. Drnnett Does Not Know.
Mr. Bennett said that when the executiv,
order opening the Controller bay land ia
entry reached his office II contained a
provision under which entrymen could
not file on the land for sixty days after
the order was issued In some way or other
he did not know how, he said, this provi-
sion was lost or eliminated before final
PRONUNCIATION OF the order. This omission,
he admitted, gave great advantage to the
Ryan claimants, who were on the ground
when the order reached Juneau.
Mr.. bennett said that the first draft
which. in accordance with the usual GUS
tom, was prepared at the Department of
Agriculture, contained the sixty days pro-
vision. but that It was not in the order as
finally signed by the president.
Who struck II out7"
II do not know"
Charges Against President.
Published eehRrecs have bsen made that
Richard s. Ryan OF New York, claimed to
be secret agent OF the Guggenhelm syndi-
cate, wrote letter to former Secretary of
the Interior Bailinger declaring that he.
Ryan had asked Charles p. Taft TO speak
to his brother. President Taft, about the
Controller bay claims. and that following
this the president made no further obJec-
ton to my claim" The land u said to
nave Doen wanted 40 u toFuhhuo AoE Geii-
roads from the Guggenheim mine prop
critics. Commissioner Dennett was sum
moned to tell what he knew Of an order
by the president throwing the land open to
entry. Miss Abbott claimed TO have made
q copy Of the alleged letter from Ryan to
Ballinger
Immediately following his return to
washington today President Taft set his
office force to work investigating the Con-
troiler bay affair.
Hunt for AIleged Letters.
All four Of the departments interested
were requested to make investigations and
report any information that might be
found The Controller bay and Charles r.
Taft letter files were searched for q letter
70 the president from his brother in re-
gard 10 this matter. the report that such
q letter had been written having been
brought to the president attention for the
first time this morning. A telegram has
been sent Charles p. Taft's secretary at
Cincinnati asking that an inquiry for such
a letter be Instituted there. Mr.. ~Taft said
that he had never discussed r. 8. Ryan or
Controller bay with his brother and had
received no letters 30 far az he could re-
member.
II IL explained that r. q Ryan. repre-
senting the Controller Bay Navigation
fcontinued on Second Paga)