Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-08-12
LAWS LAID DOWN
To Govern the Military
Telegraph Lines.
ORDER OF PRECEDENCE
OF Messages Will Not Intefere Much
With COrrespOndentS-S0me Mat
ter Will Have to be Censored by
the General in the Field.

New York, Aug. ia special to the
Tribune from Washington says: In gen.
eral orders issued from the headquarters
of the army, a new code of regulations
governing the transmission of messages
over military telegraph lines and lines
under military rule is established. The
regulations have been devised by General
Greeley, with the assistance of Lieuten-
ant Colonel Allen of the signal corps,
whose experience last summer at Santi-
ago and in Porto Rico convinced him
that systematic control was essential 10
the proper conduct of the service lines.
BY direction of the secretary OF war, the
rules were subject to modification by the
commanding general of the army In the
field, but no other officer is permitted
to have any discretion in obeying them.
The rules are as follows:
First-Dispatches will be sent in the
following order of priority. due regard be-
ing had to the Importance of messages in
the same class: (a) Those relating to the
| movement or administration of the army
| in the field and the navy; (b) other mess
ages relating to the army, to the navy
+, and to governmental departments or bu-
reaus of the United States: (c) messages
| of state, territorial or other civil officials
reIu ullIlE 10 puDllC W. uiSoStAto -
| between diplomatic agents of neutral
governments; (e) press messages; OD
| miscellaneous business, those relating TO
death or serious illness having priority.
| Second-Dispatches containing matter
| deemed to be injurious to the interests
| of the army must be submitted to the
| commanding general Of the army In the
| field for his orders relative to their trans
mission.
Third-Officers and soldiers are strictly
prohibited from communicating, except
to commanding officers or under special
authorization from proper military au-
thority, information by telegraph rela-
! tive to numbers, movements or opera
tons of troops or details regarding forti-
| fications, armaments. or experiments
made in connection with military mat
ters Neither shall they be permitted to
| file dispatches containing opinions on
military operations or other military mat
| ters relating to any part Of the army or
command with which they are serving
| Fourth-Personal and press messages
NAV, under conditions not interfering
| with military business, be transmitted
free over field military telegraph lines
that are closed to the general public.
| Fifth-The use of any cipher is forbid
den. except in communication to and
from commanding officers and their SUI
| periOrs, or in cases of civic officers spe-
cially authorized. PERSONAL ana press
codes. however, may he utilized for the
| economical transmission Of dispatches
upon filing a copy of the code with the
central office and under such other regu-
lations as may be formulated by the gem
eral commanding the army in the field.
| SiXth-The chief signal officer of an
army operating in the field or of a dis
trct under military control, in carrying
out his general instructions. will fOrmu-
late necessary regulations for the man.
agcment and operation of military tele-
graph lines under his control. General
| rules should be reduced to writing, be
| clearly defined and impartially enforced
Seventh-Messages relating to military
(, operations will be received and transmit
ted over the flying telegraph lines when
filed by a corresponden, in the field who
is furnished with a written permit to
! serve in such capacity.
| Fighth-Press messages, when filed on
military flying telegraph lines. will he
Transmitted in the order of filing. but no
correspondent will be allowed to monopo-
lie the line When special circumstances
demand special regulations will be formu-
lated. subject to the approval of the gen.
eral commanding the army in the field
to prevent mOnopOlizaton.
| Ninth-Signal officers should afford
! press correspondents il the field the full
| est telegraphic facilities consistent with
| the public interests.
| Tcnth-Invarying courtesy and strict
| impartiality, indispensable qualities for
| successful dealings with non military Of
! fcials or individuals, are strictly en-
! ioinpa on officers and men Of the signal
!