Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-05-23

~ WAS oeuVered 10 avoid the inconvenience
OF thus giving away secret information, ciphers
are always employed by the powers in corre-
spondence of Importance with their own ENJOYS;
out even thus it IL understood that many for
eign governments, particularly on the CONT
nent OF Europe, support regular bureaus for
the purpose Of translatng the cipher codes of
other nations and rendering into the vernacu-
lar the most esoteric communications. Honor
may be found among thieves, but it is hardly
discoverable in recognizable quantities among
kingdoms The most accomplished cheat il the
best diplomat
THE SCIENCE OF TRIPLES.
Diplomacy is the science Of trifes. Ever since
the Department of State was first organized 1t
has been the regulation that all its letters
should be written on the same kind Of paper
fine, blue-white linen about the size Of fools
cap. Before beginning to write the left-hand
edge OF each sheet must be folded over for one
inch and a half, and the lines must not be per-
mltted to encroach upon this Margin in order
tnat press copies may be taken to greater adj
vsntage. In the British foreign office the style
OF handwriting employed is required to be just
the same always, and the particular affectation
assumed in this matter ia q series Of dashy
curhqueues with each pair Of letters separated
from their immediate neighbors. It would be
interesting to know what individual, centuries
ago very likely, originated this peculiar hand
for perpetuation ever after. No such uniformity
is aimed at here in Washington, the only object
sought being the execution of the neatest
and clearest script attainable. Before the
days OF the telegraph II was customary to
max eaen dispatch. Tor the sake OF condensa-
uon, include as many topics as were to be COM
munlcated about, but now the invariable rule
Is to give to each subject q separate letter. In
old times, when war ragged and vessels were
n 70 sesren ana capture on the high seas by
S Sne parry W tne connict or another, all such
oocumenss were sent In triplicste, . copy on
each OF three ships, so that one might be sure
70 reach us destination. Modern cable i'm
Provements having done away with these
peIns, no more than single copy is ever trans
5 %,sseG, me oid rule was that minister ad-
liz snnad; nos1 70 .ne government 70 which he
was accredited must never under any circum
NJ tbe lotta- -, ~. sH.. AouI nues VI tno oo1y
space to be taken mn ercins;vsiy nth az. VA
ct cetera marks, but this has become obsolsts
Even diplomacy progresses, and the time may
YET arrive when the typewriter will be put into
requsltlon Tor such purposes.
POPULAR NOTION coRprorrn
The popular notion that Frerch 3. a., AL,
matte ianou.o. s~o,r.;v.,r :. VIC ~pio,
eN~eI eAo'us.ev u mlstake. A
minister may always address the government
10 "nlcn ne Is accredited In his own tongue un-
less ne IL Greek, Turk. a Persian, Chinese
OF Oh. russian, In any OF which cases he must use
elt ;.e trencn or tne speech OF the country
written to. Communications made by the De-
psrtment OF state here to foreign nations are
always In English. Italy, Holland, Belgium and
Russia employ French. Germany uses Ger
man and Spain Spanish, as do also the repub-
lies OF South America, except Brazil, which,
like Portugal, Of which it was Q colony, uses
Portuguese. It should be understood that an
envoy sends to his own government a ssdis-
patch" which the latter replies to with sin.
structions." To the foreign government be
"note," and not otherwise. These points are
all of technical importance. The yery word
ing Of the notes has been reduced TO an eYact
science. For instance, Mr.. Blaine ia never ad.
dressed automatically Is "Sir" or "Dear Sir"
but a. ''Mr Secretary" or Monsieur lie Secre-
taire dEtat' or "Senor Secretario," as the
case may %.
soMi DlfLoAATio AErHoDa
childishness. In any communication addressed
to foreign government the writer's own co,,-
trv IA always mentioned frat carefnI swo;So..n 49,
being had of admitting even in the snaaiia..
matter that any other nation or renresant..ins
has Q right to 20 ahead. When a trastn IL
signed, if the name Of one country or n. anyov -
were mentioned in the paper befors The ddaEy
nst;ons of the Other coppntrr asa.; NC 9es,S
bargain and its agent IL vorlS he onrss,d a. va
that an indignity had been inficted Tharsa
zee that In he COW Of the ocumsn ti h sTa you
10 vour eovernment the TTn;tsS stet D 81
lea and Yourself are referred IN Ar.t rh;1a s;
an vow nre rsferred 10 At ths hso;nn ~ na"s ana
honor are easy and dicnitv g. rnaSs.. mus
Won can realize Hov mnch va;,ht .,,sh s1ineo.
are considered TO have when yo,, rs .on =; .anSs
tory how, on . certain tremsndons ocn AZ n,s-
Taiisyrand and Metternich vsiEsS s Oooason,
door TO meet one another, each taking exsctIv
four steps, because unwilling to compromise
the uignisy 2. sns nations they respectively
how Snaily ths two great men cls.n sdce h ana
an inferiority 70 the other by no much ~ . tes,.
length. How impressive Il all. e to be snrsi
r,vr, -uur. %, $780,,
r,s MN 49,, ..A,
1omonc ADou' ~ ueunso o,piomacy a. the
seemingly place most American representative