The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-09-06
CODES FOR CABLING.
Where the Company Draws the Line
on Fantastic Combinations.
From the New York Tribune,

w mere inc company DEtWA the Line
on Fantastic Combinations.
From the New York Tribune
With the cost OF sending cable dispatch
es to other parts of the world varying
from twenty-five cents to more than 50
a word. international shipping firms have
made study of the most economical
methods of wording their messages, and
are to-day on the lookout for a code that
will combine simplicity with economy in
the most satisfactory degree.
The introduction of the code. system Of
wording cable dispatches has been accom-
panied by efforts to minimize the cost In
ways not calculated to contribute mate
rally to the profits Of the cable companies
practice which provoked opposition was
the forming of code in which CONNER
cial terms and phrases were represented
by single letters of the alphabet. In this
way long messages could be sent in only
a few so-called words composed of letters
which spelled nothing, but meant volumes
TO the receiver acquainted with the signiti
canoe of each letter In the code.
The absolute refusal to transmit cable
dispatches containing these irregular Sc
ries of letters put stop to that species
of code.
perton, of the Commercial Gable Com
pany, regarding the regulations now in
force, ne said that the Commercial has
rule requiring all code words to have no
more than ten letters each. and to be only
such words as can be found in a standard
dictionary. Mr.. Clapperton illustrated the
Importance of combining the codes to legiti-
mate words by citing an instance in which
an American in Rome wrote the following
message:
Brown, New York-Desolate detrimen-
tai leave for Genoa tonight"
The words "desolate" and detrimental
palpably appeared as part Of a code, and
were accepted as such by the receiving
clerk in the Roman office. But when the
native searched through the code vocabu-
larry he could not find any of the other
words, whose meaning was blank to his
Italian mind, except Genoa" which he
recognized as a native appellation. Conse-
quently, he refused the message, main
tanning that there were no such words. The
American, naturally indignant, insisted
that the words were pure, indebted Eng
lish The clerk was obdurate. The Ameri-
can protested to the officials in charge,
who recognized the justice of his claim,
and the clerk was admonished. 5ubse-
quently, when code messages containing
alleged words made of letters having sep
arate meanings were offered to the Roman
n
although they would look something like
this: Ygpqrzt Rather than run the risk Of
another reproof from his chief, the clerk
no longer questioned messages, and this
encouraged the senders of code messages
to write dispatches In combinations OF let
tiers, which reduced the cable tolls TO a
minimum The result was the order pro-
hibiting codes which do not consist Of
standard words, and by this regulation no
message is refused whose words can be
found in a dictionary by the clerk.
The device to eyade cable tolls as much
as possible included a scheme Of a Latin
code. When attention was drawn TO the
gradual Introduction of code words which
were alleged to be Latin by the senders,
close investigation was instituted,
which resulted in the discovery that the
words, while bearing some faint resem-
blance to Latin were in reality related TO
! no language on earth. Further Inquiries
revealed that they were taken from so
called Latin Combination Code COM
piled by Mr.. Linde, and privately print
cd at Calcutta. Examination showed that
the compiler had not attempted to select
his roots or Examinations on any princl-
pie Of etymology. but threw together icti-
tlous roots" to which he added impos-
| sible denominations" either invented by
\ himself or promscuousy taken from
Latin Spanish and Italian.
The only principle which appeared 70
have guided the compiler was a desire to
obtain code words differing from each
other as much as possible, and in order
to arrive at this result he In most cases
either rejected legitimate Latin roots or
altered their character without hesitation
I'm order TO attain the required variations.
His code contained 10000 combinations.
Examples Of the Linde code words" are
shown in the following: "Polibuclos,"
''fuxiIes," "obzeicale." The director-gen-
eral Of telegraphs In India Informed Mr..
Linde that his code was inadmissble. In
spite Of this, however. the Linde combs
nations have been extensively adopted by
! many firms.
Another code which encountered oppo-
sition from the cable companies was the
"a. B, c." code, IN which whole phrases
were represented by letters. A multitude
of combinations formed iof two letters
each. one a consonant and the other VOW
el. when Joined looked like a legitimate
word at q cursory glance. Some, for in
stance, were "eplcarides," "oxodic." 'pe-
naburase." Vowels and consonants reg
ularly alternated The arrangement OF
these combinations were effected by the
method employed In an old Greek cipher
The letters were placed I'm ten columns
numbered from to 0. When Il was desir-
ed to express the quantity In money. TONS
boxes. bales, etc. OF various articles
bought or sold, the sender found the col