Smyrna times., 1911-08-02

President Taft sent a special mes
sage to the senate, shOuldering full re-
sponsibility for opening for settlement |
and development 21,SOO acres of the |
Chugach national forest reserve in |
Alaska-an incident which has come |
to be known as the Controller Bay |
Affair"
In closing he brands the now ia
NOUS Dick to Dick" postscript as a
wicked fabrication" and says that
Charles P. Taft, his brother, whose
name appeared in the alleged post
script, has no interest in Alaska,
never had, and knows nothing of the
circumstances connected with this
transaction
Moreover, the president adds, his
brother does not remember that he
ever met Richard S. Ryan, represent
ing the Controller Railway and Navi-
CATION company. The Dick to Dick"
letter which Miss NJ. F. Abbott says
she saw on the files of the depart
ment of the interior, is alleged to have
been written by Ryan to Richard A.
Ballinger, the then secretary of the in
terror.
AS for eliminating the land in ques-
tion from the reserve, the president
says that there is no danger of the
Controller Railway and Navigation
company or any other interests mo-
nopolizing the field. and that there is
nothing to show that this company is
in any way connected with the Nor
gan-Guggenheim interests. Hence, he
believes that in eliminating the land
he has acted for the best interests of
the nation.
Il wish to be as specific as possible
upon this point" says the president in
his message, land to say that l alone
am responsible for the enlargement of
the proposed elimination from 800
acres to 1880 acres, and that l pro-
posed the change and stated my rea-
sons therefor.
The thing which the territory Of
Alaska needs is development, and
where. rights and franchises can be
properly granted to encourage invest
ment and construct a railroad with
out comforting exclusive privileges,
believe it to be in accordance with
good poIcEtto -great them"
Accompanying the presidents mes
sage are documents, reports and maps
bearing on the case, as requested OF
him by a senate resolution OF June q
q deem it WISE" says the message
''to accompany the submission OF
these documents with a statement in
narrative form of the action of the ad
ministration with the reasons there
for"
Here follows a description of Con
troler bay and environs and a maj
showing the effect of withdrawing the
much mooted 12,8OO acres from th'
reserve. The president then takes VI
the thread of his narrative as concern
the events that precipitated the con
troversy.
He relates how Ryan, Representing
the Controller Railway and NavigatiCl
company, applied in 1909 for the elm
ination of a tract to enable his CON
pany to obtain railroad terminals, etC
The application was referred 10 tn
forestry bureau and then to the nav
department with a view that perhap
the navy department desired to us
Controller bay as a reservation. TIL
forestry interests found no obpectio
TO the elimination of the tract indica
ed. "or indeed" as the presider
writes, :te The elimination of 1896
-acres in the northwest shore of Co
troller bay"
The navy departments answer W;
negative" says the president, and a
ter the subject had been considert
by the secretary of agriculture, by Il
secretary of the interior, and the ge
eral land Office, a recommendation WI
made to him that 800 acres, with
frontage of 100 rods on the northwe
shore of Controller bay, be throw
open.
A formal order to this effect W
finally submitted to him in Octob'
1910. but when the matter came befo
the cabinet late in that month he fou
objection to it. His reasons for TAXI
this stand he explains in his messai
in part as follows:
eNDIGSStu DISQUALIFICATION viii l
order because it purported on it's ia
to make the elimination for the b.
eft of a railroad company of tr;
of land which the company could !
by lawful entry secure, for it was
tract of 800 acres in one body, WI
only 100 acres could thus be acquir
In the second place l preferred
make a much larger elimination o
tract facing the entire channel ;
with sufficient room for a termi
railway town.
Il was willing to do this becaus
found the restrictions in the law
ficient to prevent the possibility of {
monopoly of either the upland or
harbor or channel by the Contro
Railway and Navigation company
any other persons or company"