The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-09-26
THE SCIENCE OF TRIPLES.
How tho Clerical Portion Of Diplo-
macy Is Conducted.
manner OF Preparing and Sonding Oa,cinl
documents in tho De-
partncnt of
State.

Ever since the Department OF state
was first organized it has boon tho rcu-
ulation that all its letters should DO writ
Ten on the same kind of paper-a fine
olue-white linen = about the size of
ioolscap. Before beginning to write the
lefthand edge of each sheet must be
ioldcd over for ono inch and n half and
TIC lines must not be permitted to en-
croach upon this margin. In order that
press copies may be taken to greater
advantage. In the British foreign Of
nee the style of handwriting employed
Is required to be just the same always,
says writer in the Washington Star,
and the particular affcctation assumed
In this matter is Il series of dashy curli-
queues, with each pair Of letters sepa-
rated from their Immediate neighbors
1t would be interesting to know what
Observation-Disclosures ago, very likely
originated this peculiar hand for pcrpct-
uation ever after. No such uniformity
Is aimed Mt in Washington the only OBJ
Ject sought being the execution of tho
neatest and clcarcst script attainable.
Before the days of the telegraph it was
customary to make each dispatch, for
the sake of condensation, include as
many topics as were TO be communi-
Gated about; but now the invari-
able rule is to give each sub
jcct separate letter. In old times,
when war ragged and vessels werc
liable to search and capture on tho high
seas by one party or another to
the conflict, all such documents wero
sent III triplicate, u copy on each of
three ships, so that one might be sure
to reach is destination. Modern cable
improvements having done away with
these pcrils no more than Il single copy
is ever transmitted. The old rule was
that a minister addressing u note to tho
government to which he was accredited
must never under any circumstances
write more than four lines of the body
of the letter on the first page; the rest
OF the space is to he taken up exclusive
ly with titles and ct cctcra marks; but
this has become obsolete Even di-
plomacy progresses, and the time may
yet arrive when the typewriter will be
put into requisition for such purposes.
All dispatches OF International i'm
portance are written by Mr. Blaine
with his own hand. Each communica-
ton of the sort he inditcs in the shape
VI " 'C''5 VI tlt' WHICH ID 'll)C 10 DC 1ull
OF corrections and intcrlincations
This goes to Il copyist who produces 1t
in fair and beautiful script on tho big
sheets of 4 fine linen paper already do
scribcd. Next it is copied into the
record books, after tho secretary of
state has signed it; but if it is to be sent
by telegraph, the pretty copy on linen
paper is omitted, the record book only
preserving Il transcript of it for future
reference, if needed. a single wiro
connects the Office with the Western
Union, and an operator Is always on
hand to receive and transmit messages
to all parts of the world ut cut govern
ment rates. When the dispatches ar
rive. they arc handed over by the chief
clerk to the officials for whom they arc
properly intended and such of them as
require translation arc given for that
purpose to Mr.. Thomas the polyglot
official translator for the dcDartmcnt