The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1911-07-27

benlet Rutncntcty OF OiCN W
Dick" Letter and says II Was
Sprung to Arouse Public Opinion
Against Persons Who Invest lr
Alaskan Lands--Also Denies That
order Opening Bay Was Made Sc
eretly-Assume All Blame.
Washington, July o. President
Taft in a special message 10 the SEN
ate answered the charges that have
been made against him by Senator
LaFollette and other political enc
mics, of having permitted n private
corporation to secure monopoly OF
the shore line lands along Controller
bay in Alaska, and thus indirectly of
the Alaskan coal fields. Mr. Taft de-
mics absolutely that New York mo-
nopolistic control is vested in any
corporation or individual, and de
clares that the Administrations con.
duct of the so-called Controller bay
Withdrawals has been open and dc.
signed solely to promote the best in
terests of Alaska and the general
public.
The president also makes nat
and convincing denial OF the authen-
ticity OF the so.called "Dick to Dick
letter. Mr.. Taft concludes with
bitter arraignment of the persons re-
sponsible for the spreading of such
stories in the discussion of every
Alaskan issue.
"The intensity of their desire"
| says Mr.. Taft, "to besmirch all who
invest in that district and all who
arc officially connected with this ad-
ministration operates upon tho minds
of weak human instruments and
prompts the fabrication of such false
testimony as this postscript"
Sent In Reply to Pondexter.
The message was sent to the sen
ate by tho president in response to a
resolution introduced by Representa-
tive PolnGexter of Washington. the
original charge having been that tho
Guggenheim syndicate had gobbled
up the Controller bay waterfront
through II. S. Ryan's filings on lands
opened for entry by President Taft.
or the widely discussed "pick to
Dick" postscript. the president says:
81 desire to allude to n circumstance
which tho terms of this resolution
make apt and relevant. II is n wide
| ly published statement attributed TO
a newspaper correspondent that in
an examination Of the files of the in
terror department few weeks ago,
a postscript was found attached to Il
letter Of July IL, 1910. addressed by
| Richard S. Ryan TO Secretary 3allin-
ger, urging the elimination Of land
enough for terminals for tho Control
Ter Bay Railway and Navigation com
pany. The postscript was said to
read as follows: Dear Dick: | went
to see the president the other day
He asked me who It was I represent
ed. | told him according 10 our
agreement that represented myself
But this didn't seem 10 satisfy him
So | sent for Charlie Taft and asked
1
who It was really represented. Tho
president made no further objection
10 my claim. Yours. Dick
Denies Secrecy Charge.
As to the charge made against the
president that the order throwing the
Controller bay lands open 10 entry
was made secretly, MIR. Taft submits
evidence TO show that full state
ment of the case had been printed in
the Seattle Post-lntelligencer 10 days
before the order was made, giving
news OF IN, details of Mr.. Ryan's ap-
plication and stating the probability
of its being granted.
Further on in the message the
president said:
81 wish 10 be as specific rs posi-.
bic and TO say that ! alone am re-
sponsible for the enlargement of the
proposed elimination from 800 acres
20 1880 acres. and that | proposed
the change and stated the reasons
therefor.
"lf a RAILROAD was to he construct.
ed from Controller bay 10 the Bering
coal field II was perfectly evident
that there must be a terminal town
on the shore Of Controller bay, and
I was therefore clad and anxious to
throw II open to entry and settle
ment as one important step in en-
couraging railroad enterprise ! was
, certain that congress had provided
IN the statutes affecting the entry
! and settlement Of lanl In Alaska linn
itntions which would prevent the
possibility OF the exclusive appropri
: alton Of the harbor and channel OF
Controller bay or its shores or up
land 10 any one railroad"
The rest Of the message Is devoted
TO a narrative Of the administration
act. The Importance Of ControlleI
bay is that It lies about % mile
from very valuable coal deposits
known as the Bering coal field. Al
terminal harbor It's control woul'
be tantamcunt almost TO a control 0
the Berlng coal field
|
Taft signs Reciprocity BILL
Washington, July 27. Presiden
| .touod thn Oa,alfao