The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1928-01-06

experts employed by the publii
Lieut.. Comdr a.. d. StrubIe, in
charge of the code and signal sec.
ton of the Navy Department. who
was one OF the experts retained by
the committee, testified today that
in his opinion seven of the coded
documents which were included in
the Mexican correspondence, also
We're spurious.
Struble told the committee that
he and his aides had spent 10 days
trying to discover the code used,
but without success.
Can't Solve Code
I'VE tried every method known
to us and we couldn't solve the pur.
ported code. . he said
The seven documents alleged to
be In cipher or codes. appear to be
fakes There are a number OF
indications which make 1t appear
that they are not actually coded or
ciphered messages.
The seven alleged translations
do not appear to fit in any way
either as they are or as paraphra SEES
with the seven alleged coded mes
sages that they are supposed TO be
translations of. In my opinion, no
INTERPRETATION exists between the
apparently coded messages and the
so-called translations, and In my
opinion, the so-called coded mes
sages are not actually either coded
or ciphered dispatches
Then" asked Senator Reed of
Pennsylvania. these purported code
messages are just mere nonsense
and not In any code?"
No, it's not code"
Offer Refused
Arthur Bliss Lane, chief OF the
Mexican affairs division of the
State Department ana former first
secretary Of the American Embassy
in Mexico. testified that John page,
writer of the Hearst articles, and
Miguel Avila. who obtained the
documents, had brought him some
Mexican documents
Did Avila ever bring you for
sale any documents purpoted to be
stolen from the Mexican govern
ment?" asked Senator Reed.
Not any actual documents, but
he offered to sell me some and
told him the American Embassy
was not in the market" said Lane.
Did he want some money!
Yes"
Did You ever give him any?"
Page Brought Him Copy
Then Lane told Of Page bringing
him a copy OF document, pur-
porting to come from the Mexican
files which contained an attack on
Ambassador Sheffield.
There were many documents for
sale then in Mexico city,"
''Oh, yes"
'Who offered to sell Won the
document relating, to Ambassador
Sheffield"
1T was brought to me by Mr..
Page" said Lane. 'Avila came
afterwards and offered to get the
original from the Mexican files. He
asked 200 pesos but wouldn't buy
Lane said he thought ali the
Mexican documents under investiga-
ton were spurious.
Lane also told OF Page Offering
him in August, 1926, q menoran-
dunn purporting to tell what Am
bassador Sheffield would discuss
with Secretary OF State Kellogg on
his return to the United States
Was that confidential docu.
ment of the American embassy?''
1T purported to be but 1t was
an obvious forgery"
Where did he get it?'
Got It From AViIa
"He said he got it from Avila,
who said it came from the conf
Dental files Of the Mexican Presi-
dent"
At this point Page demanded to
be heard. He said he had never
offered the embassy any documents.
On one occasion, he said, he had
talked to Sheffield about a letter
Gales was supposed to have writ
ten, attacking Sheffield and the
American Government.
THE ambassador told me he had
heard that Gales had written a let
ter to State governors attaching
the United States" said Page.
Sheffield said it would be of
advantage to him and to the United
States Government for him to get
that letter, without asking me
directly to git it. l agreed to try
to get it,
Page said he talked to Avila about
it later and the latter said he could
get copy of it. Page said it was
this copy that Lane had told the
committee about.
Page was questioned again as to
where he obtained a COPY of a
forged letter, purported to have
been written Gales by Senator La