Evening star., 1927-03-28
Statement on Alleged Forged
Notes That Threatened
Break Expected.
SECRETARY SILENT
ON PAPERS CHARGE
Article Says Mischief Makers
PLANTED" Documents in Hands
of Gales.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
Recurring and varied stories of the
contents of the mystery notes" re-
Gently exchanged between the Ameri-
can and Mexican governments, have
led the State Department to init
mate that formal statement on the
situation might be made soon.
Unusual secrecy has surrounded the
exchange and no authoritative expla-
nations has ever been made. In inti-
mating that statement might be
issued, Secretary Kellogg declined to
day to comment "for the present" on
story in the New York Times, which
said that the American note was sent
for the purpose of satisfying Presi-
dent Gales that communications pur-
porting to come from the American
Government were forgeries put into
his hands by some agency desiring to
bring about a break between the
United States and Mexico.
Sinister mischief makers, not hesi-
tating to forge the name of the Sec
retary of State to misleading docu-
ments planted so that they would
fall into the hands of the Mexican
government, nearly caused a serious
crisis between the United States and
Mexico, the New York Times says
today in a special dispatch from
Washington.
Explanation" Advanced.
The Times article undertakes to
explain the much discussed mystery
note" dispatched to Mexico, concern
| ing which the State Department con-
sistently has refused to comment. De-
| tails of how the forgeries were man
| ipulated and how they fell into the
| hands of Gales agents still are OBJ
| scure.
| The various forgeries. it is believed,
| were made to appear as official COM
munications from Washington to
| American agents in Mexico and were
designed to give the impression that
| the United States Government was
conspiring to stir up a revolution
against President Gales of Mexico,
with the idea of having him succeeded
| by a chief executive who would act as
a tool for the United States.
! These forgeries naturally created a
| great deal OF resentment when they
came Into the hands of President
| Gales, who had every reason to con.
slider them official. The Times gives
credit for uncovering the plot. to
| George Barr Baker, a former news
paper man, who was in Mexico on
| private business in January and Feb
ruary.
| Baker, the article says. called on
| Gales and found the Mexican Presi-
dent very bitter against Americans
and convinced that he was being
i treated with the utmost injustice. In
/ support Of his attitude. he showed
| Baker copies of the forged communi-
| cot IF i, coid
were in the form of kilograms. Others,
| it is intimated, were bona fide off,
cial communications, presumably ad-
dressed to Ambassador Sheffield, to
which damning phrases had been
added somewhere in transit.
Another Mystery Note"
| Mr. Baker was astounded when
shown this evidence of so unfriendly
feeling toward Mexico and found t
| difficult to believe that any such COM
muncatons actually had come from
the American State Department
! The mystery note" which has been
| the object Of much speculation, fol-
! lowed, and was succeeded by another
| mystery note" from Mexico to the
| United States.
! The situation now has been cleared
upy it is believed. so that Mexican
officials are convinced that the COM
| munications were forgeries cleverly
manipulated by persons interested in
bringing about serious crisis.
| After the Baker interview, it is
believed, President Gales was prevail
| ed upon to place the matter directly
before President Coolidge, which re-
| suited in the whole sinister plot being
| revealed. Extreme secrecy has been
observed. Not only has Secretary KEEL
| logg refused to comment, but there is
| reason to believe, the Times says. that
| high officials of the State Department
| have been kept in the dark as to wha t
! actually was going on.
The perpetrators of the plot have
| not been detected, the Times believes.
| The correspondent understands that
| the investigation still is in progress
Mr.. Bakers chance visit to Gales,
| the articles points out, may have been
| the lucky chance that prevented a
very grave international break Mr..
Baker himself has refused to COM
ment