Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1911-07-27

ton company has made any scrip ell.
tries on the eliminated tract. and this
although 1900 acres and three miles
Of water front still remain open to en-.
try and there are several different rail.
way companies in addition to the Con.
troller Railway and Navigation com.
pany that had fled locations for rights
Of way in the vicinity in the last two
years who have had In the last nine
months the fullest notice Of their op-
portunity If they wished to enter on
this land
The "Dick to Dick" Letter.
Before closing I desire to allude to
a circumstance which the terms Of this
resolution make apt and relevant II
is a widely published statement at
tributed to newspaper correspondent
that In an examination of the files of
the interior department a few weeks
ago postscript was found attached to
letter Of July 13, 1910. addressed by
Mr. Richard s. Ryan to Secretary Bal
linger-and in the present record-urg
ing the elimination of land enough for
terminals for the Controller Railway
and Navigation company. The post
script was said to read as follows:
Dear Djek-I went to see the president
the other day. He asked me who II was
I represented. ! told him, according to
our agreement. that l 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 1t was
! really represented. The president made
no further objection to my claim Yours,
DICK.
The postscript Is not now on the files
Of the department. If it were. it would
be my duty to transmit 1T under this
resolution. Who is really responsible
for its wicked fabrication, If it ever ex
listed, or for the viciously false state
ment made as to its authenticity is
immaterial for the purposes Of this
communication. The purport Of the al
legged postscript is and the intention of
the fabricator was to make Mr.. Rich
ard S. Ryan testify through its words
to the public that although | was at
first opposed in the public interest to
granting the elimination which he re-
quested. nevertheless through the I'M
due influence of my brother, Mr..
Charles p Taft. and the disclosure of
the real persons in interest | was in
duced improperly and for the promo
ton of their private gain to make the
order.
The statement I'm so far as my brother
Is concerned-and that Is the chief
feature Of the postscript-is utterly I'm
founded. He never wrote to me or
spoke to me in reference TO Richard s.
Ryan or on the subject Of Controller
bay or the granting of any privileges
or the making of any orders in respect
to Alaska. He has no interest in
Alaska. never had and knows nothing
of the circumstances connected with
this transaction. He does not remem-
Der that he ever met Richard S. Ryan.
He never heard Of the Controller Bay
railroad until my cablegram of inquiry
reached him.
Mr. Ballinger says in telegram in
answer to my inquiry that he never
received such postscript and that he
was in Seattle on the date of July 13.
when it was said to have been writ
ten.
Mr.. Richard s. Ryan, in a letter
which he has sent me without solicita-
ton, says that he never met my broth
er, Mr. Charles =. Taft. and that so
far as he knows Mr.. Charles Z. Taft
never had the slightest interest in Con
troller bay, in the Controller Railway
and Navigation company or in any
Alaskan company, and he utterly de-
MES writing or signing the alleged
postscript. The utter improbability of
his writing such postscript to Mr.
Ballinger at Washington when the
latter was away for his vacation for
two months must impress every one
The fact is that Mr.. Balinger never
saw the letter of July l3. 1910, TO
which this postscript is said to have
been attached. 1t was sent to me by
Mr.. Carr. Secretary Balinger's pri
vate secretary, at Beverly. on July
1.-THE next day. | read the letter at
Beverly in August with other papers
and sent them to the White House.
1t was placed upon the White House
files and remained there until April
%. 1911. when it was. by request OF
Secretary Fisher. for use in connection
with his answer TO a senate inquiry.
returned to the interior department..
and it was after this that the CORE
spOndent is said to have seen the let
ter with the postscript attached. Mr.
Carr saw no such postscript when he
sent the letter to me | did not see II
when / read 1t. No one saw it in the
executive office. but it remained to ap-
pear as a postscript when it is said
that the correspondent saw the letter
in April or May on the files of the in
terror department All others were de
MED the sight.
The person on whose statement the
existence of what has been property
characterized as an amazing post
script is based is q writer for news
poperS and iunpuziuas WIN WINS ,viVaO