Forgery, Smugglery

George Barr Baker, Manhattan Republican, onetime newspaper man, talked to newsgatherers last week, but not for publication. The newsmen went away and wrote that President Calles of Mexico showed Mr. Baker last January copies of documents apparently signed by U. S. Secretary of State Kellogg, directed to the U. S. Ambassador at Mexico City, and of such purport that President Calles had made up his mind the U. S. intended war. Mr. Baker, so newsmen wrote, was instrumental in proving these communications forgeries--by whom forged, no one seemed to know--thus averting a crisis with Mexico.

Not thus clandestine was an announcement last week that the U. S. Department of State will not renew the anti-smuggling treaty with Mexico which expired during the week. Mexicans feared this announcement was a hint that the U. S. intends to cancel its embargo preventing the shipment of arms into Mexico, if the Mexican Government does not yield in the matter of allegedly confiscatory land and oil laws (TIME, Jan. 25, 1926 et seq.). If the embargo is lifted a revolution in Mexico would probably follow. In any case it will be easier to smuggle liquids and solids into the U. S. from Mexico from now on.