The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-10-07


Is made to investigate its contents by
the customs officers at the various from
tiers
Royal personages in the same way are
In the habit of using a cipher for their
telegraphic messages. and as n special
messenger for their confidential letters
which they do not like to confide TO the
mails. But there is no truth in the
stories according to which cryptography
Is used by the various monarchs to COM
municate by letter with one another. In
fact Emperor William would not find
life worth living II every time that he
wished to write to his grandmother in
England-and he is credited with doing
so every week-he were obliged to sit
down and TO spend few hours in cipher
ing the contents of his letter.
Some governments make use OF numer-
ais for their ciphered communications
with their agents abroad Others a mix
ture of numerals and words. and yet
others exclusively words OF course. the
only problem that needs solution In dis
patches of this kind Is to ascertain the
key number or key word. When that is
accomplished the remainder is easy.
though generally tedious. Indeed, 1t is
difficult TO conceive OF a more tiresome
head-splitting piece of work than to either
cipher or decipher a dispatch of some
1900 or 1900 words. talk from sad and
weary experience. Some governments
change the key word or key numerals
with each dispatch. according 10 set
tied arrangement. Others again change
1t every month. Sometimes It is placed
at the beginning Of the dispatch. at other
times at the end
To tho uninitiated a dispatch of this
kind will appear in the nature of Chi
nese puzzle, but to expert cryptic
grapher the deciphering of a government
code dispatch is mere child's play.
Occasionally the dispatch will appear a
mere tumble OF consonants without any
meaning. while at other times II will
be so ciphered as TO contain sensible and
plausible sentences. the meaning OF
which. however. when deciphered Is en-
tirely different to that which appears on
the surface. 1t was code of this kind
that was used by the Spanish secret
agents In this country during the war
with Spain, and | need not add that the
clever stan of secret service men en-
ployed by the United States government
were In a short time possessed of a key
TO the cipher in question.
II is perhaps due to this knowledge that
there is so much carelessness displayed
in connection with the secret code books.
Thus II has been admitted by the state
department at Washington that about a
year ago II discovered Its cipher was known
TO a number OF South American and Euro
pean governments and that another code
is now In use. The wonder is that the
state department should have taken the
trouble TO devise a new cipher
The envoy naturally does not do the
work Of ciphering and deciphering him
self. He leaves this to secretaries. Strict
ly speaking. the only persons whom he
is authorized to trust with the cipher
and decipher books are full-nedged sccre-
taries of embassy and legation.
But unfortunately this rule Is not adj
hered to, and I have sometimes known
a minister 20 confide the code books and
the task OF eiphering dispatches to per-
soual private secretaries and clerks hold
ing no commission or appointment from
the ENJOYS government and sometimes
not even belonging 20 the same national
ity as hts exceilency. could cite
dozen cases Ia point. and one In par
ticular. which came under my own OBJ
seryation,
OF course, the employment OF these per-
sonal secretaries and clerks Is usually
temporary. especially when they happen
20 be aliens. ana naturally when they lose
their office the temptation 90 turn 10
profitable account the iufarma ton which
they have obtained while connected with
the mission, especially the knowledge con-
corning she cipher, is great Ia several
countries, the United states among the
number diplomatic appointments are
given az A reward Tor political services or
are distributed IN accordance with the re-
Qulrements - political influence. and are
merely % temporary character. en-
yoys, secretaries aud clerks returning 10
their farneer occupations Al the close OF
their brief term Of diplomatic service.
As r1le they are TOO patriotic ana
possess q too high sense ~ honor 10
render themselves guilty Of the slightest
indiscretion with regard "a the secrets
that - the cipher code amongst oth-
crs-~of @hich ihey have obtained kn0g1-
edge during their spell % government
service But % course sornet.rass mis-.
takes are made in the selection y anal.
dates Tor ofaciai employ uaaut ana Ia ia-
Siroye The secrecy % an entire aipio-
matte code.
2ueen N!cterta. the German ssnpsrsr
TIC Austrian kaiser. the czae ans tbm
ltaAan kiag are credited wish heInr the
npiy RULERS whl have ln shelr a.,saess,,,r,
The cipher rode ~ their respective DE-
pArtmelts ~ foreign affairs Fsrextser,,
Mckinley. Zoo. has The stale deo4rf,,.--
'ode e1 ks hat tbe president - an
French relublic is aecoraed 10 sisch prl,,-
iege. Neither Is E3ag Leopold i. Ftsis,
ABA htns Oscar % sweden th4 e,teas =
scni % Spain pQr the Kings % rAsrr,srs
ana Greece and when they wish y, -.
n4nicaEe With thalr anshsssa 49, e.,.t -
soys Abroad they are obliged a. al :,
shrough t'riF zainisger q foreign AZ
fairs.