The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-03-02
LANSING BLAMES
ONLY KAISER IN
PROBE OF PLOT
Secretary Lansing Absolves
Mexico and Japan In Pub
lie Statement

Washington, March 2-Denial by
the ENJOYS Of Japan and Mexico, and
exoneration by Secretary Lansing or
their governments of any part In
Germany's plot against the United
States were made yesterday. Mr..
Lansing authorized the following
statement as representing the admin
istration's attitude toward japan and
Mexico:
1--WE do not believe that Japan has
any knowledge of this. or that she
would countenance any proposition
madeb y an enemy
eve have confidence that Mexico
would not be a party to any such
agreement in view of the friendly re-
Flations existing between this govern
ment and the de facto government or
Mexico"
Ambassador Sato of Japan said:
with regard to the alleged Ger
man attempts to induce Japan and
Mexico to make war upon the Un1ted
States made public in the press this
morning, the Japanese Embassy,
while lacking information as to
whether such invitation ever reached
Toxic, desires to state most emphat-
ically that any invitation OF this sort
would under no circumstances be en-
tertained by the Japanese govern
ment, which is in entire accord ana
close relations with the other powers
on account of formal agreements and
our common cause, and. moreover,
our good friendship with the United
States, which is every day CRYING in
sincerity and cordially.
Germany is very much mistaken
if she thinks that my country would
combine with Mexico and herself to
make war against the United States.
Germany would stop at nothing in the
present state of affairs, and this
makes the conception of the plot very
probable In saying sthis I speak au-
thoritatively for my government"
Ramon de Negri, the Mexican
Charge, said:
"As Charge de Affaires Of the Mex
lean Embassy I desire to deny the
participation of my Government in
the plot reported in the morning pa
pers. I expect the official denial of
my government will be made in reply
to the report which I have forwarded
to the Foreign Office"
Ambassador Fletcher has informed
the State Department that the Next
can Minister at Mexco City has
at the Mexican Foreign Office to as
certain how Gen. Carranza might be
expected to receive such a PROPOSE
ton, but that the First Chief has new
err been informed that Germany desir-
ed to open formal negotiations leading
to such an agreement.
The text of Dr. Zimmerman's COM
munication has been cabled to every
American diplomatic representative
on this hemisphere, with instructions
| to ask the Foreign Offices how they
| feel on the subject.
| The Administration for several
months has been alive to the fact that
| powerful German influences have
been working in virtually all of the
Latin American capitals for the pur-
poses of trying to draw these govern
ments away from the United States
/ Up to the present time the President
and Secretary Lansing have no reason
to believe that these schemes have
succeeded. AS far as the Administra.
| ton has been able to ascertain, the
Latin-American republics have no in
tention of looking to Germany for sup.
port Of any sort.
| The State Department is satisfied
that publication of the Zimmerman
document will act as a boomerang
as far as Germany is concerned on
this continent. Despite the fact thai
the United States has a number OF
trying situations existing in Latin.
America, the State Department feels
that none of the republics of this
hemisphere would espouse Germany
at this time.