Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-07-25
Asks Why Controller Bay In
quiry Has Been Dropped.
BUT FAILS TO FIND OUT
Declares House Committee Should
Take Notice Of Published CHARGES.
TIME ENOUGH, SAYS CHAIRMAN
Investigation, When It Comes. Will
Be Made in Orderly Fashion,
He Declares.

Why has the Investigation of the Con-
troller bay land tangle been dropped by
the House committee on expenditures in
the Interior Department? This is what
Representative Burke of South Dakota,
republican member of the committee
tried to find out from Chairman Graham
at a meeting OF the committee this MORN
ing. But he accomplished nothing.
Mr.. Burke seemed to consider it some
what strange that after starting in with
great enthusiasm on the Controller bay
inquiry. springing the Dick to Dick
letter as an initial sensation and sum-
moning number Of witnesses, including
Richard S. Ryan. promoter Of the Con-
troller bay railroad, alleged agent OF the
Guggenheim syndicate and reputed
author Of the "Dick to Dick" letter;
Miss NJ F. Abbott, the newspaper wom-
an. who says she found the Dick to
Dick letter in the files of the Interior
Department. and Ashmun Brown, private
secretary to former Secretary OF the In
| terror Ballinger, who, Miss Abbott says
gave her the famous and mysterious mis-
sive to read, that the committee should
| suddenly become afflicted with what is
popularity known as cold feet" excuse
all the witnesses, after OBTAINING some of
ponement of the inquiry for several
months.
Makes Effort to Find Out.
Certainly he made a valiant effort
today to find out what 1T was all
about. but got little satisfaction. The
meeting of the committee on expendi-
| lures in the Interior Department held
today was called by Chairman Graham
to begin an inquiry into conditions on
the White Earth Indian reservation in
Minnesota.
But Mr.. Burkes line of questions adj
dressed to the chairman in a vain effort
TO unravel the mystery surrounding the
discontinuance of the Controller bay near
ing delayed the other investigation for
an hour.
Mr.. Burke started out by suggesting to
Chairman Graham that when Secretary
of the Interior Fisher appeared before the
committee some weeks ago, when the
Controller bay hearing was begun. lie
suggested that it be carried through as
speedily as possible, and promised all pos
slb!e cooperation on the part Of the de-
partment
Mr.. Fisher told the committee at that
time, when the 'Dick-to-Dick" letter
was sprung as a sensation, that he was
as anxious as any one to find out the
truth concerning It, He has since re-
peated this declaration on a number Of
occasions.
Recalling this, Mr. Burke told the
chairman today he hoped the news
paper reports that the Controller bay
fall were not true
Asks Direct Question.
What is this committee going to do?''
he asked the chairman.
Chairman Graham cleared his throat,
gazed refectively at the ceiling for a
few moments and then Informed Mr..
Burke. In carefully chosen words, that
the committee didn't propose to do any,
thing for some months except complete
Its documentary records In the Controller
bay case.
But" said Mr.. Burke, earnestly. 1.-The
claims filed upon at Controller bay have
not yet matured. If there is anything
reprehensible in connection with them it
is important that it be ascertained at
the earliest possible moment. Some of
Interior Department and others are to
leave in the near future. The inquiry
should be pressed at once
Ashmud Brown is not living in the city;
Assistant Secretary Don M. Carr is about
to go to California, and there are others
who soon will not be Immediately avail
able as witnesses. The newspapers have
repeatedly stated Miss Abbotts claim
that she found the so-calIed 'Dick to
Dick letter inthe files OF the Interior De-
partment. Certainly, in view of all the
circumstances, and particularly with re-
spect to the great amount of publicity
that has resulted, do not see why there
is this delay. I want to see the search
light turned on and to have the commit
tee go to the bottom of every suggestion
about this Controller Bay affair.
There has been enough said In the press
about this affair TO warrant the assump-
ton that the country is demanding an
immediate inquiry I understand that
the investigation will not be taken up
until October Is. I hope that it is not
the case, and that this committee will
take up Controller bay again at an early
date and make it the continuing order I'M
til completed.
Chairman Expresses Astonishment.
Chairman Graham said he was aston
ished that Mr. Burke should suggest that
the investigation be pushed in order that
the Interior Department might know if
there was fraud in connection with any
Of the claims in question. The department,
he suggested, had sufficient agents, I'M
limited money and all necessary facilities
to find out every detail concerning which
information was desired.
There was nothing in the law, he
pointed out, requiring a committee of
Congress to investigate land claims to
ascertain their legality. He concluded
by remarking with emphasis that he
must dissent from Mr.. Burke's sugges-
ton in the Controller bay case,
whether it comes from the Interior
Department Of from yourself" The
witnesses, he added. had not been dis
charged by the committee, but merely
released" until their attendance was
desired.
s'To turn the searchlight on q matter as
involved as this said Chairman Ora
ham, takes time, and If have my way
l propose to see that all necessary time
is allowed and that every hole ard crew
ice is reached by the searchlight But
this inquiry must be made in an orderly
fashion, and in order to do that all the
documentary evidence must be included
in the committees record of the case"
Mr. Burke suggested that in view of the
charge that the big interests were
concerned in the Controller bay tangle,
the committee might be unduly criticised
as being influenced by these interests in
so suddenly and unexpectedly dropping
the Controller bay inquiry.
Mr.. Graham replied that anybody who
held this view would change it before
the committee got through with its work
He didn't think. however, on reflection,
that anybody would suspect the commit