Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1911-07-14
PRESIDENT ASKED
FOR EXPLANATION
RESOLUTION INTRODUCED CALLS
FOR INFORMATION ON CON.
TROLLER BAY NATTER.
DID BROTHER INFLUENCE HIM1
and r. 8. Ryan Are Named
Guggenhein Interests
profited.


charges that the president had been
induced by three people-his brother
Charles P. Taft, Richard A. Ballinger
secretary of the interior at the time
and Richard S. Ryan of New York, a
representative Of the Guggenheim in
terests-to restore to the public do
main lands surrounding Controller
bay, in southern Alaska. met with
quick action in congress.
The house committee on expendt'
lures, headed by Representative Ora
ham of Illinois, summoned Commits.
sioner bennett of the general land
Office to appear before the committee
to explain what he knew about the
Controller bay land matter, and Rep.
resentative Cox Of Indiana, one Of the
Democratic leaders of the house. intro.
duced a resolution calling on Presi.
dent Taft for all the information he
could furnish the house on the sub.
ject.
Coincident with the introduction Of
this resolution, announcement was
made that at its meeting the house
committee on expenditures in the In.
terror department would take up the
investigation of the story of Mrs. NJ.
E. Abbott. the newspaper woman who
processes to have discovered the lot.
ter in the files OF the interior depart
ment.
In reply to the allegation that by
ordering the reopening of the Control
Ter bay land the president has made 1t
possible for the Guggenheim syndicate
to secure control OF the land, depart
ment officials assert that this would be
impossible. inasmuch as the law re-
quires the government to reserve for
its own purposes. that is, the preven-
ton OF monopoly, alternate sections
thus thrown open.
President Taft was out of the city
and the only information obtainable
from administration sources was that
the. order opening the Controller bay
lands issued last October, three
months subsequent to the writing Of
the alleged Dick to Dick" letter, was
promulgated on the recommendation
of the forestry service through the
department of agriculture. Mrs. Abb
bolt, who in any investigation that is
begun will be one of the star wit
nesses, adheres to her original story.
She made this public statement:
II have in my possession the paper
on which copied the postscript. Sec
rotary Fisher had instructed Mr..
Brown, his secretary, to show me the
whole record in the Controller bay
matter. found letter from R. S.
Ryan to R. A. Ballinger, dated July
10, 1910, typewriter on printed sta
tionery, at the head of which was '22
William street. New York 1t was
signed r. S. Ryan
Attached to this letter was another
sheet of paper which began: Dear
Dick and which said:
az went to see the president the
other day about this Controller bay
affair The president asked whom
represented. I told him, according. ia
our agreement, l represented myself
But that did not seem to satisfy him,
for sent Charles Taft and asked him
to tell his brother who l really repre-.
scented. The president made no fur
Their objection to my claim.
"'Yours, Dick
II am ready to 60 under oath and
reiterate these statements and to pro-
duce anywhere before an authorized
tribunal my paper containing my copy
of that postscript"
The resolution introduced by Repre-
sentative Cox reviews the published
charges that Richard S. Ryan, a Sc
cret agent of the Guggenheim syndi.
cate. through the secretary Of the in.
terror. Mr.. Ballinger, and Charles P.
Taft, the presidents brother, induced
the president to sign the executive or
der of Oct. 2S, 1910, which released
the Controller bay territory from the
reserve and placed it in the public do
main, open to entry.
The president is requested to fur
nish all information regarding any at
tempt to exert influence upon him by
any Of the persons mentioned to in
duce him to open the land to entry.
The resolution has been referred tt
the committee on rules, which vii
give 1t immediate attention. 1t re
auires the production by the presiden
of all letters, kilograms and other pa
pers that may serve to throw any ligh
upon the reason for issuing the execu
tive order.