Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-08-11
On Thai Suhjeci--Oenles Ger
lain Course as President.
Asserts That Government Must Con-
troll Alaskan Affairs.

tadmlniStra ton the same COURSE HH'
been pursued as had been pursued
later in connection with Controller
Bay. Mr. Roosevelt discusses some o.
the general phases OF Alaska develop
/ ment and adds
The government must itself con
troll the development of Alaska, ana
adopt as the guiding principle the id"a
of shaping that development in the in
terest primarily of the people rs
whole. the syndicate or other develop
ling agencies thus receiving benefit
only as an ia~ident To comforting II
! L do not think the task is a very
difficult ono. if only We. the peoPl'
personally and through our represeu-
ltatives approach it with this purpose
clearly in mind. and If we insist that
1.-The agents of Government act with az
understanding of the needs OF the
people and a lesolute purpose to Sc
these needs accomplished. even
though 1t be necessary to override the
representatives of the great interests
i,eho wish to prevent Alaskan develea-
ment unless il is shaped primarily To
benefit those interests
Mr.. Roosevelt begins his article with
| a reference to an article from the
| Washington correspondent of the Ne"
: York Tribune of July 23 iustifying the
withdrawal of the Controller Ra,
LANDS from the Forest Reserves on The
srounds that similar action had been
taken by Mr. Garfield and Mr.. Pinchot
| in eliminating certain areas at Eyak
| and Valdez Arm from the Forest Re
serves. Mr. Roosevelt continues.
The article assumed that I was de
ceived by Messrs. Garfield anil
Pinehot 1t is hardly necessary 10
say that any such assumption must be
made either with intent to he humor-
Gus or with full knowledge of its
falsehood. l was in peculiar sense
responsible for every act of Mr.
Pinehot and Mr.. Garfield when they
held office under me. They represent
ed to very especial degree the poll
eies and principles which / had rs
peciallv at heart. and. while of course
there were necessarily many actions
took on their recommendation with
| the details of which it was impossible
| for me to be acquainted. | was abse-
| lately and entirely cognizant of the
principles in accordance with which
each one of these acts was taken. and
each act faithfully represented the
putting into effect of the principles in
which | believed and which | had laid
down fer the guidance of my ad-
ministration.
In every part of the country in
which there are Forest Reserves it
| has been found, and it will in the flu
ture be found. necessary to make
eliminations for town sites. for agri-
cultural purposes, fer manufacturing,
purposes. and the like. Each such
case stands on its own merits; each
such case depends for its justification
upon the conditions existing at the
time il is made. and is in no sense a
precedent for any other case. arising
under new conditions. or whom facts
hitherto undiscovered have been made
known. 1t may be not only proper t
eliminate a given tract of land. but
| highly improper not to eliminate it:
and yet, if the elimination of another
tract of land will give monopoly TO y
mining company, or a transportation
company. or any other company
it may be to the last degree i'm
proper. At the time the elmina
tons at Eyak and Valdez Arm
were made, no suggestion had been
made to me from any source, nor was
there any public knowledge that
there was the slightest danger of thf
lGuggenheim Syndicate, or any othei
Syndicate, obtaining control of Alaska
as the developments during the past
three years have shown to be the cas-
land as has been matter of publil
Inotoriety for at least two years.
Months after the date of these
eliminations Cunningham made #
fdavit that he knew of no entrymer
in the Cunningham group that had
lany contract with the GuggenheiH
Syndicate. the Examinations beine
made in July and September, 1907
and the Cunningham affidavit in Sep
tember. 1908 When these elimino
tons were made, there was not ;
vestige of evidence to show that W.
should be on our guard to proven
such a monopoly as is now EVIDENT.
threatened incidentally. anent tin
assertion of Mr.. Ryan that he has n
interest whatever in the Guggenhein
Syndicate, let me point out the ex
lplicit character Of the Cunningham
affidavit that the Guggenheims hat
no interest in their claims; and. il
any event. our entire past industrial
history gives MS warrant for sayini
that, if the Ryan road is built a
planned. it will be but a matter o
time, and probably a gery very shor
time, before Ryan's road and tn
Guggenheim interests ar merged int,
lone
The state of affairs brought to ligh
Iduring the administration of NJ. Bal
linger showed concmsively and for tin
first time. that we had to guar
against monopoly in come ton wit
the development of Alaska, or. to spea
more properly, the eXploita ton Of Alas
ka by great syndicate for the sol
benefit of that syndicate. When III
leliminations at Eyak and Valdez Arm
were made. not a revelation as re
CARDS the Guggenheim Syndicate. o
any other syndicate. had been brough
to my attention, or, as far as | knew