New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-10-28
BAKER ACCUSED
MEXICANS ONLY
Americans Not Concerned
in His Plot Yarn,
He Admits
from rhc Tribune Buresu.l

Washington, Oct. 27.-Secretary
Raker,s sensational charge that
bandit attack on Pershing or raid
over the border would be made Tor
ro,itical purposes became SO nebuious
to-day that it almost vanished ih'o
thin air.
All efforts to draw from Administra-
t;or officials evidence supporting the
socretary's charges failed. Both Sec
retarv Baker and Secretary Lansing
said no more explicit information than
was contained in the statement would
be furnished.
Secretary Baker was closely ques.
.;onod He was asked particularly II
bs intended to implicate any American
citizens in the alleged plot.
"Oh. dear, dear, no." he answered.
at is unthinkable that such suspi-
zion should be raised against an Amer
;cor citizen. Secretary of State Lam
s;no made that .clear in his statement
last night"
"But. Mr.. Secretary, you were IN
formed by The Tribune over the teie'
pbone last night that impartial per-
sons had so construed IT.
"Yes, and l was under the impres-
sior that no such construction could
be placed on it."
Refuses to Answer Question
"Do YOU still think to-day that your
statement did not leave the impression
that Americans were involved"
az do not care to answer that ques-
ton"
"Why did you not make it clear in
your original statement. the only one
YOU would make last night, that you
did not mean Americans?
"A mans choice Of words is his
choice" replied Mr.. Baker. 81 think the
statement was clear enough"
Mr.. Baker then said that, so far as
he knew, only Mexicans were concerned
in the matter. Some of the informa-
ton was received, he said, only few
minutes before the statement was is-
sued He added that the information
did not come from Americans or from
persons in the United States.
Ambassador Designate Arredondo said
to-day that he had given no informa-
ton of such nature 70 the State De-
partment until to-day. when he told
Secretary Lansing that two weeks ago
the story of a projected attack was
common gossip along the border lie
Rad no information Of a definite char
aoter he said further than that the
Legalista and Magonista juntas seemed
TO be involved in il. Since he crossed
the border, two weeks ago, returning
from Mexico, he has heard nothing con-
cerning the reports.
Although Secretary Bakers state,
ment said the information It was oased
on was definite" no evidence could
he obtained 10 support the assertion
Not a single official outside the Csbi-
not could be found to-day who had even
a remote idea Of the facts whlch MI
Baker is said TO possess.
Further than this. reporters for The
Tribune interviewed officials in the
State, War and Justice departments
Who normally handle correspondence
relating to such matters, and they de-
cIared positively that no such informa-
t;on had come through the regular
channels. and that they did not take
Mr.. BAKERS statement seriously.
An official of the Department OF Jus
,ice was reached by telephone.
SWhat do you know about this Baker
conspiracy" he was asked.
you mean the rise in the price OF
"No, no; the charge that bandit at
tack is being plotted on the border"
ooh. YOU see how much that is on
our minds. We have heard nothing