The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-07-11
Vain Search for Letter
Bearing on Controller
Bay Charges.
TESTIMONY FAILS
TO LIFT NJ YSTEkY
President Recalls No Reference
to Matter by His Brother,
Charles P. Taft-D emmett
Says Original Order Open
ing Land Changed Be
fore PRONUNCIATION.
.s-AHS-

Washington. July 1.-The story of a
vanishing letter. both addressed and
signed Dick" from Richard S. Ryan.
oil Ne" York. TO Richard a. Ballinger,
then secretary OF the Interior, pur
porting 10 show that Charles p TAFT
had Influenced mis- brother. President
TAFT. To forward the alleged attemp,
OF Guggenheim interests to acquire
Controller Bay. the only outlet for
large coal felds in Southern Alaska.
inquired In a congressional inquiry be-
gun to-day.
The testimony before the House
Committee ON Expenditures in the In
terror Department and statements
from the white House and from
Charles 7. Tafts omces failed to lift
the mystery enshrouding the alleged
letter Commissioner bennett, of the
General Lana Once, the only witness
to-day, testified that ne knew nothing
of IT, and that he would not neces-
sarily know OF its existence, and such
letter was not recalled in any other
quarter. The letter was not TO be found
in the hles. though Miss NJ +. Abbott.
newspaper writer, who VIII testify
later. says she copied such document
from the official hles. President Taft
has expressed confidence that his
brother never communicated with him
on the subject, either orally or il
writing
Miss Abbott. already subpoenaed as
witness. probably Will appear before
the committee wednesday.
Among the witnesses the committee
Will summon is Ashnun Brown.
Seattle newspaper man, who was pri-
waite secretary TO Secretary Ballinger
and VINO. according to Miss Abbott
was present when she saw the alleged
Ryan Ballinger letter.
1t was stated Al the White House
to-day that a careful search OF the
files in the executive Offices failed TO
reveal any record OF a letter TO the
President from Charles p. TAFT con-
corning Ryan or bearing in any way
upon the Controller Bay affair
Testimony OF Dennitt.
The most important development to-
day was the testimony % Commission.
er bennett that the claimants repre-
scnted by Richard : ~yan, of New
York. said TO repres'at the Guggen.
helm interests had benefited by the
omission Of one prov.S,Sn in the filing
Of the papers
Mi bennett said that when the ex-
eeutlve order opening the CONTROLLED
Bay land to entry reached his Office
l. contained a provision under which
entrymen could not fle on the land
for sixty days after the order was
Issued In some way or other he did
not know how. he said. this provision
was lost or eliminated before the fnal
PRONUNCIATION OF the order
Mr.. bennett said thatSthc Arst draft.
which in accordance with the usual
custom was prepared al the Depart
ment Of Agriculture. contained the
sixty days provision. but that 1t was
not in the order finally signed by
the President
"who struck II out?"
II do not know"
Chairman Graham. OF the committee.
asked Mr.. Denne;t 10 furnish copies OF
sarding the Controller Bay claims and
the report dealing with the surveys
made there.
Statement by Fisher.
Secretary Fisher. Of the Interior De-
partnnent issued a statement to-day
concerning the Interview attributed to
Miss Abbott. in which she referred to
a postscript 10 letter from Mr. Ryan
to Secretary Ballinger.
NO reference whatever" says Mr.
Fisher was made in this interview
70 what Miss Abbott very properly
calls the amazing postscript, which
she says she found attached to letter
TO Secretary BallInger from Mr.. Ryan.
nor was this postscript ever men
TONED or referred to in any other in
terview which / have ever had with
Miss Abbott. or any one else prior to
Its publication in a Philadelphia news
paper.
~ am told upon my return to-day
that the most diligent search of the
records of this Office has failed to dis
close any such document. and every
one who has searched the record saws
most emphaticaly that he has never
seen this postscript or any other