Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1911-07-27

WASHINGTON, July 27.-President
Taft sent a special message to the
senate today shouldering full respons'
ibility for opening for settlement ana
development 1880 acres OF the Gnu
zach national forest reserve in Alaska
an incident which has become to be
known as the Controller Bay affair. "
In concluding he brands the now ia
fous "Dick to Dick" postscript as a
wicked fabrication" and says that
Charles P. Taft, whose name appeared
in the alleged postscript has no IN
terest in Alaska, never had, and
knows nothing of the circumstances
connected with this transaction"
Moreover, the president adds, his
brother does not even remember that
he ever met Richard S. Ryan, repre-
senting the Controller Railway and
Navigation company.
II wish to be as specific as possible
upon this point" say the president in
his message, land to say that l alone
am responsible for the enlargement
of the proposed elimination from 32O
acres to 1880 acres, and that pro-
posed the change and stated my rea-
sons therefor. The thing which the
territory of Alaska needs is develop
fent, and where rights and franchises
can be properly granted to encour-
age investfent and construct rail-
road without comforting exclusive priv
ileges, believe it to be in accordance
with good policy to grant them
Il wish to be as specific as possible
nd m !
am responsible for the enlargement
of the proposed elimination from $40
acres, and that propised the change
an stated my reasons therefor, and
while both secretaries cordially con-
Cured in it the suggestion was mine."
First-Not more than $50 acres can
be entered in a single body by scrip.
Second-No location of scrip along
any navigable river or other waters
can be made within eighty rods of any
lands along such waters, and no entry
can be allowed extending more than
100 rods along the shore of any nav.
igable water: and along such shore a
space of at least eighty rods must be
reserved from entry between all such
claims.
Third-Nothing in the act contained
is to be constructed to authorize en-
tries to be made or title to be acquired
to the shore of any navigable waters
within the district
Taking up the "Dick to Dick" cpl
sode, the President says in conclusions:
Before closing, l desire to allude
to circumstance which the terms of
this resolution make apt and relevant
1t is statement by one Miss M. F.
Abbott that in an examination of the
files of the interior department few
weeks ago, she found a postscript at
tached to a letter of July 10, 1910, ad
dressed by Mr.. Richard S. Ryan to
Secretary Ballinger-and in the pres
ent record-urging the elimination of
land enough for terminals for the Con-
troller Railway and Navigation CON-
pany. The postscript was said to
read as follows:
went to see the president the other
day. He asked me who it was l repre-
sented. told him according to our
agreement, that I represented myself.
But this didn't seem to satisfy him.
So sent for Charlie Taft and asked
him to tell his brother, the president,
who it was really represented. The
president made no further objection
to my claif. Yours,
DICK.
"The postscript is not now on the
files of the department. If it were
it would be my duty to transmit it
under this resolution. l do not trans