The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1911-07-27
PRES SH0UL LDERS
POSSIBILITY OF GRANT
CHIEF EXECUTIVE EXPLAINS
The POLL ICY EXERCISED IN
ALASKAN AND CASES.


ALAS AND CASES.
WASHINGTON Jniy 27-Presldent
TAFT sent special message 10 The
senate yesterday shoulderIng full re-
spOasibility Tor opening tof settle
ment and development ~ 500 acres OK
the chugaii National Forest Reserve
in Alaska an incident which has be-
come to be known}as the Controller
Bay Affair.n In epneludlng he brands
the now famous Dick % Dick post
script as wicked fabrication and
says that Charles TAFT whose
name appeared In the alleged post
script, shas no interest in Alaska'
and knows nothingoi the circumsian.
ces connected with this transaction
Moreover the president adds, hls
brother does not even remember lnat
he ever met Richard s Ryan. repre-
eentlng the Controller Railway y
Navigation company
AS for eliminating the land IN cues
tion from the reserve the president
says that there is5no danger Of The
Controller RaIlgaysG g Navigation com
pany or any other Interests lnonQpni
LIKING the field; and nothing to show
that this company Is q any way CON
nected with the Mote m eenhelm
interest. Hence he believes that IN
Eliminating the land he has acted for
the best Interests OF the nation.
Shoulders Responsibilities
u wish o5ibe as specific as pos
sible upon this point. SAYS the pres
dent In his message anu to say that
/ alone am responsible for the en-
largement OF the proposed hmlnahon
from 800 acres to 1880 acres and
that proposed the chang and stated
my reasons therefore Tie thing
which the Territory 81 Alaska needs
is Development, and where rights and
franchise can be pFopefly granted to
encourage Investment and construct
a railroad without eonferring exciuA.
i've privileges, believe i 70 be IN ac'
cordance with good policy to grant
them"
Accompanying Tie presldents mes
sage are docunents reports and maps
hearing ON the case as requested
from him by a Senate resolution Of
june 27th last Y deem It VIae.'
sags the meseage. 70 aocol l'lH
J the submission ol these documents
wilma statement h NARRATIVE form Of
the action of the admini siraiion VITA
the reasons therefor Here follows
a description OF Controller Bay and
and enyIrons and map showing tho
effect Of withdrawing the much moot
ed 1880 acres from the reserve. the
president then takes up the thrad Of
his narrative as concerns the events
that precipitated the Controversy.
Care Exercised.
He relates how Ryan representing
the Controller Railway and Nayiga-
tion company, appliedsin 1909 for Tho
elimination OF q tract to euahle ihla
company to secure railroad terminals
etc. The application was referred to
the Forestry bureau and then TO tho
Navy department With 2 view that
perhaps the navy desired 20 use Con
troler Bay as a teseryation Flio
forestry interests found no objection
TO the eliminate Of The tract indf
Gated, cor indeed as tlle presideni
writes, "to the elimination ot $4,000
acres in the northwest shore OF Con
troler Bay"
The Navy Department. answer was
negative says the president and 81
ter the matter had been considered
by th secretary ofagdeultnre by the
secretary OF the interior and the Gen.
eral Land Office, q Recommendation
was made to him that 320 acres. with
a frontage Of 160 fods On tie north.
west shore Of Controller Bay bo
thrown open. "A formal order to lhlp
effect was finally snbmitted % him
IN October, 1910, but when the mat
ter came before the cabinet later Ia
that month he found objection 10 IL
His reasons for taking this stand he
explains in his rlessage IN part na
follows:
Expected to- Town
u expressed dissatisfaction with
the order because II purported On Ils
face to make the elimination for lhe
benefit Of railroad Company OF
tract Of land which the compapy
could not BY. Lawful entry secure for
1T was tract S2Oacfes ii one body
(continued on Paee Ecnr.l
l.ass
N r