Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1911-07-28
PRESIDENT BRANDS
DICK TO-D|CK LETTER
WICKED FABRICATION
Taft Discusses His Action in
Opening Alaskan Lands in a
Special Message Sent to the
Senate

senate shouldering full responsibility for
opening for settlement and development
Il, 500 acres of the Chugach national for
est reserve in Alaska-an incident which
has become to be known as the Control
Ter bay affair" In concluding he brands
the now famous Dick to Dick" post
script as a wicked fabrication and says
that Charles p. Taft. whose name appear
ed in the postscript has no interest In
Alaska. never had. ano knows nothing of
the circumstances connected with this
transaction" Moreover. the president
adds, his brother does not even remember
that he ever met Richard S. Ryan. repre-
.senting the Controller Railway and Navi-
cation company.
AS for eliminating the land in question
from the reserve. the president says that
there is no danger of the Controller Rail-
way and Navigation company or any 9TH
er interest monopolizing the field. and
nothing I'd show that TINS company is in
any way connected with the Morgan
Guggenheim interests. fence. he be-
lieves that in elimi. ating the land he has
acted for the best interests OF the nation.
Il wish TO be as specific as possible up-
on this point" says the president In his
message. and to say that / alone am
responsible for the enlargement OF the
proposed elimination from $40 acres TO
12,S00 acres. and that 1 proposed the
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 10
encourage investment and construct q
railroad without comforting exclusive
privileges. 1 believe il TO be in accord
ance with good policy TO grant them"
Accompanying the presidents message
are documents. reports and maps bearing
on the case, as requested from him by q
senate resolution OF June 81 last n
deem il wise says the message, ito ac-
company the submission of these docu-
ments with statement in narrative
form OF the action of the administration
with the reasons therefor" Here follows
a description OF Comforter bay and en-
virons and a map showing the effect of
Withdrawing the much mooted 1880
acres from the reserve. The president
then takes up the thread Of his narra-
tive as concerns the events that precip-
itated the controversy.
He relates how Ryan. representing the
Controller Railway and Navigation COM
pany. applied in 1909 for the elimination
of a tract to enable this company to Sc
cation was referred TO the forestry bu-
reau and then 20 the navy department
with a view that perhaps the navy de-
sired to use Controller bay as reserva-
ton. The forestry interests found no
objection to the elimination of the tract
Indicated. "or indeed" as the president
writes, Ito Che elimination of $4,000 acres
in the northwest shore of Controller
bay
A NEGATIVE ANSWER
The navy departments answer was
negative says the president. and after
the matter had been considered by the
secretary of agriculture. by the secre-
tary Of the interior. and the general land
Office. a recommendation was made to
him that 800 acres with a frontage OF $50
rods on the northwes- shore of Con-
troller bay be thrown open. A formal
order to this effect was finally submitted
to him in October. 1910, but when the
matter came before the cabinet late in
that month he found objection to it, His
reasons for taking this stand he explains
in his message in part as follows:
II expressed dissatisfaction with the
order because it purported on its face
to make the elimination for the beneft
of a railroad company of a tract of land
which the company could not by lawful
in one body, when only 100 acres could
thus be acquired In the second place, l
preferred to make much larger elm
ination of a tract facing the entire
channel. and with sufficient room for q
terminal railway town. / was willing TO
do this because / found the restrictions
in the law sufficient to prevent the pos
sIbility of any monopoly Of either the
upland or the harbor or channel by the
Controller Railway and Navigation COM
pany or any other persons or company.
Because of a lack Of time sufficient to
draft a memorandum myself. I request
ed the secretary OF the interior. who
with the secretary OF agriculture, after
full discussion. had agreed in my con-
cluslon, to prepare a letter setting forth
the reasons for making the larger elm
nation, so that II might become a part
Of the record.
II wish to be as specific as possible
uJon this point, and TO say that ! alone
am responsible for the enlargement OF
the proposed elimination from 300 acres
TO Il. $50 acres. and that ! proposed the
change and stated my reasons therefor.
and while both secretaries cordially con-
CURED In It, the suggestion was mine"
The president says he had every as
surance at the time that the Controller
Railway and Navigation company was
an independent enterprise. working in all
good faith. and that no evidence to the
contrary has since been brought to his
attention. "Of course II was possible,
he continues. that the owners OF the
copper River Railway company
CNfessrs. Morgan and Guggenheim)
might attempt to buy this railroad
when and II il were built. 1t was pos
sibIe that Mr.. Ryan was acting for the
interests of the Copper River railroad
although did not believe Il; but whetn-
er this was true or not IL 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 capital
lists" Moreover. he states, the rates to
be charged would be always subject 70
congressional control. and IL government
ownership seemed the wise policy under
the peculiar circumstances, condemna-
ton Is easy.
FOR CONSERVATION.
IT am as strongly convinced as any
one of the necessity for the conservation
/ OF our national resources" says the
president land as much opposed as any
one to their monopolization by large cor
porations. but my convictions on this
point did not deter me from taking the
step which hoped might lead to en-
couraging the construction of a railway
/ from Controller bay 20 the Bering Goa
fields thought the pairing down o. tht
amount of public land TO be acquired roI
terminals by the railway company pro-