The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-07-27
 TAFT SHOULDERS ALL BLAME FOR ALASKAN AT FAIR Brands Dick to Dick" let ], ter a Wicked Fab-
 rieation7 @s
ACTED FOR THE BEST
 INTEREST OF NATION
Elimination of Land From Govern ment Reserve, Known as Con troller Bay Affair Was
 Developing Alaska

Washington, July 26.-Full responsi- bility for the opening for settlement and development of 12,S00 acres of tlfe Chugach national forest reserve ip Alaska was shoudered by Presiderk Taft in special message transmitted ssss the Senate late today Interest Tn the incident now known as the Controller bay affair to which the message rs- lated, has been keen.z The reading of the message held the close attention Of the senators present
 Charles P Taft. brother of the Presi- dent, has no interest in Alaska, never had and knows nothing of the circum stances connected with this transac- tion," stated the message AS a wicked fabrication" the President branded the famous Dick to Dick" postscript. Charles P Taft. the President asserted, does not even remember that he ever met Richard s. Ryan, representing the Controller Railway and Navigation company, who is alleged to have written T the Dick to Dick" communication to then Secretary of the Interior Richard A. Ballinger.
 As for eliminating the land in question l from the reserve. the President says that | there is no danger of the Controller Rail- | way ana NdNlHdllOn company UT any other interests monopolizing the field, and rotliing to show that this company Is in | any way connected with the Morgan-Gug 1 genheim interests. Hence he believes l that in eliminating the land he has acted for the best interests of the nation.
 'I wish to be as specific as possible l upon this point, says the President in his message. and to say that I alors | am responsible for the enlargement of l the proposed elimination from 320 acres to 12,S0o acres. and that l proposed the 1 change and stated my reasons therefor. The thing which the territory of Alaska needs is development and where rights and franchises can be properly granted to | encourage investment and construct a | railroad without comforting exclusive priv ileges, I believe 1t to be in accordance with good policy to grant them.''
 Documents and Maps l Accompanying the Presidents message are documents, reports and maps bearing on the case, as requested from him by a. Senate resolution of 1ne q last. '.I aeen. 1t wise, says the message, ito accom- panying the submission of these doc'i- nients with a statement in narrative form of the action of the administration with l the reasons therefor" Here follows a de- scription of Controller bay and environs and map showing the effect of with drawing the much mooted F, 800 acres from . the reserve The President then takes ID the thread of his narrative IS concerns the events that precpitated the contro- versy.
 He relates how Ryan. representing tns 2 Controller Railway and Navigation con- pany. applied in 1909 for the elimination of tract to enable this company sN, secure railroad terminals, etc. The appli- cation was referred to the forestry bureau and then to the navy department with 6. view that perhaps the navy desired to use Controller bay as a reservation. The forestry interests found objection to the elimination of the tract indicated. 70. indeed" the President writes. ito ths elimination of ls,000 acres in the north west shore of Controller bay
 The navy departments answer was negative" says the President, and aftor the matter had been considered by the secretary of agriculture, by the secretary of the interior and the general land office, ;t recommendation was made o him that S2o acres with frontage of 169 rods on the northwest short of Controller bay be thrown open. A formal order to this ef- feet was finally submitted to him in Oc- ltober, 1910, but when the matter came be- fore the cabinet late in that month he found objection to it. His reasons for, taking this stand he explains in his mes- sage in part as follows
 Dissatisfied
 
 order because 1t purported on it's face to make the elimination for the benefit of railroad company of tract of land which the company could not by lawful entry secure. for 1t was a tract 32o acres in one body when only 1G0 acres could thus be acquired. In the second place, I prefeHred to make a much larger elimination of a tract facing the entire channel, and with sui | fat- iaa1 wall t1xx-ox town. l was willing to do this because found the restrictions in the law suf- ficient to prevent the possibility of any , monopoly of either the upland or the harbor or channel by the Controller Railway and Navigation company any other persons or company. Be- cause of a lack of time sufficient to draft & memorandum myself. request ) ed the Secretary of the Interior. who, with the Secretary of Agriculture, after fuu discussion, had agreed in my con- clusion to prepare letter setting forth the reasons for making the larger elimination, so that it might become . part of the record.
 .I wish to be as specific as possible mon this point. and to say that alone am responsible for the enlargement of inc proposed elimination from 320 acres to F. 800 acres, and that proposed the change and stated my reasons there for. and while both secretaries cordially concurred in it the suggestion was mine"
 The President says he had every assur- ance at the time that the Controller Rail- way and Navigation company was an in dependent enterprise working in all good faith. and that no evidence to the con trary has since been brought to his atten- tion "Of course it was possible" he continues that the owners of the Copper River Railway company" (Messrs. Nor gan and Guggenheim) might attempt to buy this railroad when and if 1t were built It was possible that MT. Ryan was acting for the interests of the Copper . River railroad, although did not believe , it. but whether this was true or not 1t was clear that the order of elimination by reason of the restrictions of the act | of Congress would not permit the owners of either railroad to shut out any other capitalists" Moreover. he states, the rates to be charged would be always sub feet to congressional control, and if gov , ernment ownership seemed the wise pol- cv under the peculiar circumstances am pie land for right of way harbor frontage and terminals must always remain avail-
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