The Washington herald., 1911-07-11
Continued from Page One.


Department of the Interior, representing
a well-knOwn weekly, for the purpose
Of investigating the Controller Bay with
drawal. Secretary Fisher. she said, gave
her access to the department records,
and it was while she was going through
these that she came across the ''Dick to
Dick document, which she described as
a postscript to a letter. She submitted
an article which she had written as the
result of her investigation to Secretary
Fisher, and the Secretary, so he said
yesterday, pointed out to her at the time
that her article contained many .insinua-
tions and very few facts. The weekly
declined to publish the article, and Miss
Abbott then sold it. or one like it. to
certain newspapers.
Secretary Fishers Statement.
Secretary Fisher said yesterday in re-
gard to his interview with Miss Abbott
after he had read her article:
mo reference whatever was made in
this interview to what Miss Abbott very
properly calls the amazing postscript
which she says she found attached to a
letter from Secretary Ballenger to Mr.
Ryan. nor was this postscript ever men,
toned or referred to in any other in
terview which I have ever had with Miss
Abbott or any one else prior to its pub
lication in the Philadelphia North Amer
lean. I was particularly interested in
learning any facts which would really
throw light on the Controller Bay situa-
tion and 1 pressed Miss Abbott pretty
hard for the basis OF certain insinua-
tions contained in her article. Under
these circumstances I cannot understand
how she would have failed to mention
the postscript referred to. The inter-
view with me occurred. as she says,
after she had examined the records.
Document Unknown.
IT am told upon my return to-day that
the most dlligent search Of the records
Of this Office has failed to disclose any
such document, and that every one who
is known to have seen the record says
most emphatically that he has never
seen this postscript or any postscript or
other writing OF this character. This in
cludes Mr.. Brown, who was private sec
retary to Secretary Ballinger and con-
tinued to act in this capacity until Mr..
Cove (the present secretary was ap-
pointed. Miss Abbott says that Mr..
Brown gave her the Dick to Dick note
or postscript with apparent reluctance
Secretary Fisher added that he pre-
ferred TO believe that Miss Abbott had
not been correctly quoted in the article
attributed to her, because 1t contained
many misstatements Of substance with
to- ~
misrepresented the character
Of the interview. Secretary Fisher as
serted that he had been unable TO find
anything in the records of the Interior
Department which seemed to threaten
the public interest
Conference at White House.
Secretary Fisher called at the White
House early yesterday morning and went
over the developments with the President
that have occurred since Mr.. Taft start
ed on his cruise last Saturday.
The President Immediately ordered
search of the letter files at the White
House for any communication from
Charles P. Taft to the President con-
cerning the attempt of r. S. Ryan to Sc
cure land on Controller Bay. After
two hours search the announcement was
made that no reference was made in any
Of Charles P. Taft's letters to the Presl-
dent TO Ryan, and the President could
not recall that his brother ever had men
toned the subject to him.
At the instance OF the White House,
Charles P. Taft's secretary in Cincinnati
was instructed to search his letter files
there for any communication to the Pres
ident in regard to Ryan or any communi-
passing between Charles p. Taft
and Ryan. A telegram was received in
Washington last night saying that no
mention was made of Ryan in any Of
Charles P. Taft's letters on file in Gin
cinnati. Charles P. Taft himself IS in
Europe with his family. Ashman Brown,
former secretary to Mr.. Ballinger, and
who was retained for several weeks in
that capacity by Secretary Fisher, denies
that he ever saw the Dick to Dick
postscript, and also many statements
that are attributed to him by Miss Abb
bott in her article. Miss Abbott says
that Brown showed her the Controller
Bay record at the direction of Secretary
Fisher.
Occasionally" says Miss Abbott" he