The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-07-10
NO EVIDENCE FOUND.
Charges Regarding Controller Bay
Grab Appear to Be Weak.

Washington. July 10.-Secretary Fish
er today TOLD President Taft that
careful search of the interior depart
ment records failed to snow the Dick
| to Dick" letter in which it was alleg-
co thaI e p. Taft used his influence
IN pehaiL OF navigation interests in
bay.
Secretary Fisher also told the presi-
! dent that he saw the article written
| by Miss Abbott before it was printed
and remembered no such letter in the
article.
| 1t was stated at the White House that
a careful search of the flies in the ex-
ecutive offices failed to reveal any
! record OF a letter to the president from
Chas- P. Taft concerning Ryan or bear
ing in any way upon the Controllers
! bay
The most important development of
the case by the house committee on
the interior department today was the
| testimony of Commissioner DeneIt OF
the general land office that the claim
ants represented by Richard Ryan, Of
New York said to represent the Gug-
the omission of one provision in fhe
| final official papers
| Commissioner Fred S. bennett of the
| general land Office and Miss M. A. Abb
bolt a writer both subpoenaed as wit
nesses were present today when the
| house committee on expenditures IN
| the interior department began an in
! quiry into charges of an alleged grab
of valuable water front lands on Con-
troller bay Alaska by the Gugsenheim
| interests. Published charges have been
made that Richard S. Ryan of New
| York claimed to be q secret agent OF
/ the Guggenheim syndicate wrote let
| ter to former Secretary of the Interior
Ballinger declaring that he RYAN had
| asked Charles P. Taft to speak to his
brother, President Taft, about the Con
troller bay claims and that following
this the president made no further
objection to my claim"
Guggenheims Wanted 1t.
The land is said to have been wanted
as a terminus for railroads from the
lGuggenheim mine properties
Commissioner bennett was summon
ed to tell what he knew OF an order
| by the president throwing the land open
| to entry. Miss Abbott claimed to have
made a copy of the alleged letter from
Ryan to Ballinger.
| Immediately upon his return to
/ Washington today President Taft set
/ his office force to work to investigate
/ the Controller Bay affair. All four OF
| the departments interested were re-
| quested to make investigation and re-
port any information that might be
| found. The Controller Bay and Charles
P. Taft letter files were searched for
letter to the president from his brother
| in regard to this matter, the report
/
having been brought to the presidents
attention for the first time this morn
/ ing. A telegram has been sent to
/ Charles P. Taft's secretary at Cincin-
natl, asking that an inquiry for such a
| letter be instituted there.
Mr.. Taft said he had never discussed
r. S. Ryan or Controller Bay with his
brother and had received no letter so
far as he could remember. 1t is ex-
planned that R. S.Ryan, representing
the Controller Bay Navigation COM
pany, secured a frontage of eighty
rods on Controller Bay. The govern
ment retained every other eighty rods
water front on the bay, making, the
department officials declare, a monop-
oily Impossible. At the White House it
was said that there had been no Sc
crecy or anything unusual in the order
opening Controller Bay to entry. The
matter was passed upon by the cabinet
in regular form it was stated.
Can't Find the Letters.
Cincinnati, July 1O.=A THE request
of President Taft the letter files of his
brother, c. P. Taft, were searched
here today for trace of possible CORE
spondence with the president, Richard
Ryan or other persons regarding Con-
troller Bay affairs or Alaskan lands.
No letter bearing on the subject was
found and so far as the files in Mr..
Taft's Office show he has no acquaint-
ance with Mr.. Ryan or any interest in
Alaskan investments. Charles P Taft
T. IN