Salt Lake Telegram | 1927-04-17 | Page 1 | U. S. Document Theft, Forgery Stories Probed

uI rU SI S. DOCUMENT THEFT FORGERY STORIES PR PROBED State Department Looks Into Alleged Irr Irregularities ties in Mexico EN ENVOYS ENVOYS- VOYS QUESTIONED Colonel Davis Confers i With Olds WASHINGTON GT X April April 1 Widespread Jd spread published reports po ts of I wholesale theft and forgery ry of government gov gov government documents documents' at the can embassy in I 1 Mexico to City At vere ere given official r t today d b by bythe bythe the stat department Departing with a a guarded announcement announcement an an- rit from the 1 rigid j an-j It has r for r r w weeks I concern on ein einIng j ing ng the the reports reports th the j late tod today admitted that for tor some time me mean an investigation had been u under uI-ider underway way with jJ a view to arriving to-arriving at the facts and satisfactorily ly clearing up th the situation The announcement followed a conference between betseen Assistant t See Sec Oda all an Li Col Colonel EdWard G. G I 1 r it CitY from froni icho vh s office secret 1 c m are ale said to have been stolen OTHERS QUESTIONED It that the officer is here in response to a state tate department department department depart depart- ment request although as as late as yesterday department officials i ls disclaimed disclaimed disclaimed dis dis- dis- dis claimed an any interest ni lily visit declaring It W was s a wa rep t matter m aled also that Cons ConsY th ander W. W addell a Ie- Ie City and nd m Libels Libel's 0 of ass trOt Sheffield's heffield's t. t al ld d been embassy e sJ o questioned ques ques- d th tWi theft thelt ar ana forgery tor ery stories 4 t el Davis Davis' VIsit isit th sa sara said d S Incidental to th the 1 which the state f. f n the the V Var r department nr carr carr lt tJ l' l with a view t to arriving a at tJi fa facts ts and satisfactorily clearing up the situation Published versions of the thefts have differed but all have sug and falsification df Of l s cret correspondence on a a wh wholesale les le scale One report was wast t tp the effect that communications from the state department to- to Ambassador Ambassador Ambassador Am Am- Sheffield were pilfered en route to Mexico City forged InterPolations Interpolations Interpolations Inter Inter- uncomplimentary to te th the tha Mexican government inserted and then turned over to Calles Calles' The Mexican president is reported then to have returned the docu docu- ments menta Q this government STOLEN CLAIM Other ac ve set Ret th the number number number num num- ber of stolen and pd d revised papers as as high as and have pictured them themas as placing relations between Veen the two two countries on delicate deli cate ate ground th n already has been beeri developed In the controversy over the Mexican oil and land laws The reason for the thEr state df departments department's departments depart depart- part part- ments ment's departure from Its silence on a the subject subject remained remained undisclosed The briet announcement nt was apProved approved approved ap ap- ap Proved proved by Assistant Sec Secretary Oldin Olds Old In the absence of Secretary Kellogg who is spending the Easter holiday at Hot Spring Hot SprIng Va The roe war department department de de- de- de also has maintained si silence silence si si- lence on on Colonel Davis Davis' connection with the affair except to confirm earlier in th the week that th was expected here lere 1 War d department pt officials Went nt to pains to emphasize however that pa page e 8 I U. U S S. DOCUMENT THEFT FORGERY FORGERY'S S 5 STORIES PROBED S Continued fro from page la L D Davis Davis' vis' vis mission was not in the che least derogatory to hl himself and 1 they hey are known to have beert been keenly conc concerned con con- con con- c lest fragmentary and spec specia speculative pf the Incident re- re discredit to tY Colonel Davis Davis- re-I re has an an unblemished service reeo record a. a He h has s to to the em embassy embassy em bassy sassy for a year ear and nd has three y yar ars of ot his detail remaining S Concern over Its comin communication system between Washington and Mexico Mexico City City some tithe time ago moved noved the state department to to abandon use of diplomatic pouches in the malls mails in favor favor- of special messen messen- melsen- melsen gers Whether that dev development touched on the theft and reports Is not known At the de department de- de t building Itself the System of of t gathering and dl dis disposing die die- p posing of waste paper from the the- offices offices' of officials lias ha been changed and nod on one occasion l at t least secret service oper operatives we wet wet- were on on duty In Jn inthe I the building at ni night ht