Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-07-12
CONGRESS.
Continued from Page One

should be urged to make their reports on
the case as quickly as possible An the
documentary evidence in the case prob
! ably will be in the Presidents hands
early next week and that it then will be
sent Immediately to the Senate in an
swer to a resolution adopted late in June
| calling for all such information.
| Washington is awaiting with much in
terest the story to be told tomorrow be-
| fore the House committee on expenditures
| in the interior department which mas
started an investigation of its own, by
| Miss NJ F. Abbott, who claims to have
copied from the files of the interior de-
partment letter from Richard s. Ryan
to the then Secretary Richard BaIlinger,
showing that Ryan sought the aid of
Charles p. Taft in securing President
Taft's approval of the opening of the
water front on Controller bay, Alaska
Up to this time Miss Abbott appears to
have been the only person to have seen
the mysterious letter. Secretary Fisher
has said that a thorough search of the
department files failed to show such a
letter. President Taft has stated that
he had never talked with his brother
about Ryan or Controller bay, and it Is
announced that neither the files at the
White House nor those in the office of
Charles p. Taft show any correspondence
on the subject. Ashmun Brown, former
secretary to Mr.. Ballinger. from whom
Miss Abbott claims to have secured the
letter, has denied absolutely any knowl-
edge of it.
According to published accounts Miss
Abbott will testify that she found. attach
ed to typewriter letter from r. S.
Ryan to Secretary Ballinger date July 81,
1910, this note or postscript:
Dear Dick:
II went to see the President the other
day about this Controller bay affair. The
President asked me whom 1t was | repre-
sented. l told him. according to our
agreement, that represented myself But
that did not seem to satisfy him. So |
sent for Charlie Taft and asked him to
tell his brother who it was | really rep
resented. The President made no further
objection to my claim
DICK"
list of witnesses made up late today
by the committee conducting the inquiry
into she Controller bay. Alaska. matter.
is said to Include the following: Charles p.
iaitr uiptHeI vi tue fTeSluenIs Danlel
Guggepheim, head of the Alaska syndi-
cate: Franz Fl. Hitchcock. postmaster
general; Walter F. Fisher. secretary of
the INTERIOR Richard S. Ryan, the al
legged promoter and large number of land
office clerks. The inquiry promises to be
a long one.
Chairman Penrose and the other lead
ers who are pushing the reciprocity bill
through held the Senate in session until
lis p. NJ. From now on the Senate will
be in session until o'clock or later and
all efforts for delay will be frowned upor
This is expected to force the opponents
OF the measure to hasten their speeches
and the presentation CT thier amendments
Penrose tonight predicted that a vote on
the passage of the bill would be reached
next week. He Is not insstent upon fix
ing in advance a time fer the final vote
which will be taken when the debate is
exhausted.
Senator La Foilette's long speech Is ex-
peeted any time after tomorrow. He will
ask for day after introducing his amend
ments. which he expects will be tomorrow
or Thursday Meantime, his friends will
try to prevent a vote until he can be
heard. Senators Bfistow and Borah NAV
speak tomorrow.