Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-06-22
UNCLE SANS CIPHER CODES.
Secret Writing Used BY Nearly All the De-
parimenis.

Nothing could be more absurd than
The statement recently published TO the
effect that the Sp1niards have found
the key to the cipher used BY the state
department, and are reading the teie-
grams which pass between Washington
and Havana, writes Rene Bache, in the
Boston Transcript. The SECRET code
Employed in this service Is one of the
most lnscrut.2ble cTyptogralns ever DE-
1lsed. the key word changing auroinat-
icaiiy from time 10 time. The transla-
lion Of a message framed in il, without
key. Is practically an impossihility-
OF course. a key might he stolen. a
opy Uf II being In the possession oil
very consul general and minister oi
ne United States in foreign countries.
but il could hardly be utilized with
success by an outsider. owing 10 the
shifting OF the key-word by prear-
angement between the parties CORE
spending.
In fact. the State departments cipher
50 complicated as to interfere Sc
louSly with its usefulness. When q
eiegram Is received. ii is apt 10 be a
wenty-four hour job to make 1t out,
me code employs groups o' Hsuies ~
eptesent words anu pm as an q
Nsten "a tnas SOFT always 20 "
'oftnnity iof MISTAKES ~ ti'Aiis'' 9ii'
NJ the same time y Is oeesel ~ '''''
aspect than system that uses eryp-
ngraphic words. inasmuch as the latter
are very likely to SO wrong over the
Wires. suppose, LOT eAa'fipie' III"
i'ofniciie slahds lnf tns fies'is''4i -
ne thl'ed states. a loaeiSu 'e.ee ~
peratof' hilacquaiitsu w" i1'it
nay get the WoIu ci"oheu anu ii'ahe q
OF OF troupie. t'oNei iiiiseil's nav : 80
1een frightened our OF uheT WIS ~
MISTAKES IN cipAefs'
Figures, you see, are the sa'iie III gu
ne languages OF ciNiIizeu ila'ioiis.
lpher now ehipioseu ps 'iie So We
aFthieht mas ossh ~ uae l0' 49,
."ehty years fioNsNet' ''ie
heh' mas Always u'ii1e1 P'os s''''9
IT'S correspondents sii'ee eso'o.-e,,l
Try .iiiies' ~ 'itose oas
,upiic man haa MS -" piiN"se =
'ucfi piecautto', peiiis' ii,a"e
ais ny 'iie pleNaie'ice ~ 'iie =. a. ~, ~.
= 'ii'eisep'iais " '"s
tis' me iiss'uei' - ~
atates USES 'iie o''''e 20 80.
'oae "heh ne selios d sveiet uesi'.',o =
'u' t'iis ia'e's iiapiena' a'iu !" -.
ram nas ny.
q hi'e iiouse III '.ie 'aS' i'a'i :
ears " eoul So .he Depa. .''''e''s ~ 1,
'1i'e % 'ns esii..'' . oi''N' ."
ai,u w ou - ~ - -"
Ni.ii .i,ioiiis,'ie .'i.N' ,o's e.''.
~ MANY 'it's'Ne9 u -. ~
,iissioi, VI ~ p''si ai,ii'o -
ne eii'i'ei - uSeo oi'is "i,.i -
~ seeie.s vi eeoi'o's Nu.H 49, 49,, =
she US. u 'eies' a.'ia 'ei' e'.'s' ''.e
iiaNins an iiiipo' -. -
"heie' as III .i'e u',ieu's WIN S
y, ''"' " =. -,
~ a. an expense VI - " nioie q wiz
No"aoass nv. n.aiis - i'uon 49,.
ION az ioi'..s''s - pai" ~ ','e ep'i'ss
= uipioiii"N'o seie's' 'iie ueai'Ss "
ny ''a'foiis VIZ" oi,e a',o'n Ills
i'uei 'i'ote open anu irain D'p9"'s
,sea - y q ~ sam ~ - No. ~
'ne apies. a'ioa ,ss,a M ne W.
o ~ iie ii'oS. =.
i..'ei9 ""' eoi''i"sieu q i.s ,''''',l'e 20
~ '"e oueiness' 'i,. a. ue's
" aue" peiieo.'o' .n'l' uespsN'.s -.
ope,'eu Ni''.ou. "epa' 81. n'!"'s " go
~ u M us ,s'',o"s - 70
- ',''a n,'e "a' na"i'
"a SCI. " Vueei i'-,Aaon'
s eNeis oi'e ~ ''e We
useS a e'p''sr, iio'e =. ieSs'
-, 200 20 ieapo''aeee -" !. In, =, :"