Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-07-27
Discusses Message to the
Senate Explaining Action in
Controller Bay Affair.
ROOT OF THE MATTER
NOT TOUCHED, HE SAYS
Declares Lands Should Have Been
Held by the Government.
COULD HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED
Claims That Presidents Course Had
All the Effect Of Secrecy in
the Advantage Given Ryan.

>~N
In reference to the Presidents message
on the Controller bay situation, Clifford
Pinchot today issued the following state
ment:
The Presidents defense of his course in
the Controller bay affair shows how hard
1t is to make a good excuse for a bad
mistake
1t leaves the root of the matter wholly
untouched. In spite Of all explanations.
the fact remains that Mr.. Taft. in OPEN
Ing the lands around Controller bay
without notice to the public has given
the interests behind Ryan an opportunity
to acquire the key to the channel of
Controller bay before the public knew
what was going on. The map, which Is a
part of the Presidents message, sup
ported as 1t Is by the testimony of Mr..
Graves Of the coast and geodetic survey
before the congressional committee now
Investigating this question. appears to
show that the mile and a half Of harbor
front taken up by Ryan. together with
the tracts which the government retains
and on which it prohibits private entry.
does effectually control the valuable por-
ton of the channel
Lands Should Have Been Held.
But whether the President is right or
whether the map Is right, and whoever
Ryan and his associates will be shown to
represent, 1t Is true, and will remain
true. that the lands about Controller bay
should never have been let go. The pub
lie will agree with Col. Roosevelt that
these terminal lands ought to have been
kept in the public hands
THE so-called Ballinger-Plnchot inves-
tigation opened the eyes of the public to
the extensive and successful efforts which
are being made to monopolize the re-
sources of Alaska. The facts developed
by this investigation constituted solemn
warning and a call upon the executive
for special watchfulness in protecting
public property in Alaska In view OF the
need for firm and careful policy thus
emphasized. 1t was the Presidents duty
to hold the terminal lands around Con-
troller bay In government ownership. AS
with the coal lands, the title to the har-
Dor lands, which are the key to the coal
lands, should have been held, In any
event, until Congress could act. In the
meantime, contrary to the general i'm
preston, the very fact that these lands
were in a national forest made them fully
and promptly available under lease for
every proper use, yet held them subject
to governmental supervision and control.
Development of Alaska.
"The President is right when he says
that what Alaska needs is development,
but no legitimate development Of the
harbor front on Controller bay has been
and can be proposed that could not pro-
ceed as well and as rapidly under suit
private land. So long as these terminal
lands remained in government ownership
no one could monopolize the harbor. The
moment any of them passed into private
hands the danger of monopoly began. The
fact remains, and the public will not
forget, that before the executive order
of October % Controller bay was both
available for development and safe against
monopoly. Now 1t is no longer safe This
is abundantly proved, not only by the
general history Of commercial consolida-
tion, but in particular by what the Nor
gan-Guggenheim syndicate has already
| done in destroying or absorbing possible
competitors.
Element Of Secrecy.
''The President denies that in granting
Ryan's request for the opening Of Con-
troller bay by the executive order Of Oc-
tober 2s there was any element of
secrecy, anu QuOlcS press Ql6pdtCQ Oh
the same date announcing his action. But
| Mr.. Taft does not mention that on the
| day he signed the order and notified the
press In Washington. Ryan's surveying
| party was ready in Alaska. and that by
November l, or four days after the order
| was made, and before the government
officials in Alaska had been notified of
| the order. they had begun a survey of
| the Ryan claims on Controller bay The
omission Of the customary thirty days
notice to the public that the land would
| be opened to entry gave Ryan what he
wanted. 1t cut off all chance for any
| competitor to locate on the terminal
lands until after Ryan had made his &C.
| lection. No amount Of newspaper notice
to the country after the executive order
| was signed could In any respect inter-
| fere with the prearranged work of Ryan
agents, or enable any rival to enter a
| foot of land on Controller bay except
what was not wanted by the people
| whom Ryan represented. It was like
| locking the stable after the horse was
| gone If the order had been wholly
secret the effect could not have been
| different
| An Unfortunate Situation.
at is possible that the protests already
made may yet save the situation. But
| In any case 1t is unfortunate that the
| friends of conservation, In their efforts
| to bring about the development OF
1 ALASKA for the benefit Of the neonle are