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Show 1LIM Investigation of Title Is Ordered by the President Washington, Nov. 11. Attorney j General Wlckersham. bv direction of President Taft, has begun an inquiry to ascertain whether 0,000 acres of i valuable oil lands In California were known to contain oil when patented to the Southern Pacific Railwny com- pany. If such is the case, suit to , recover will l instituted. President Taft decided to act after several conferences with Secretary Balllnger and the attorney general, alter he, left Washington on his trip to Panama. Mr Ballmger anil Mr. Wlckersham bad an extended conference on tho subject yesterday. The allegation has been maie to the President that thousands thou-sands of acres of public lands have been patented to IndU (duals with the understanding that they contained oil and in many cases found their way into the hands of the corporations. In directing the attorney general to begin an inquirv Into the patents of the lands by the Southern Pacific company, the President Is said to only be making a beginning. The agents of the department of justice have begun a search of the records of the gciier;d land office, preliminary to a complete Investigation of the patents of any lands which It may be thought were taken from the public domain with the private information, that they contained oil or mineral. ' The Southern Pacific's lands now I in question, were patented several years ago. Thousands of acres of other lands In the same vicinity were patented at the same time. President Tnft's instructions to Mr. Wlckersham are to conduct an I investigation with all the facilities at ; the command of the government and ! if the results warrant such a course. I to begin proceedings for restoration j to the public domain of all lands so j patented . |