New-York tribune., 1900-07-29

MUST LEARN THE KEY WORD.
Some governments make use of numerals for
their ciphered communications with their agents
abroad others a mixture of numerals and
words, and yet others exclusively words. OF
course, the only problem that needs solution in
dispatches of this kind is to ascertain the key
number or key word. When that is accom-
rlished the remainder is easy, though generally
very tedious Indeed it is difficult to conceive
Of a more tiresome. head splitting piece of work
than either to cipher decipher dispatch of
some fifteen hundred or two thousand words
The writer talks from sad and weary experience
Some governments change the key word or key
numerals with each dispatch according to a
settled arrangement Others. again, change it
every month. Sometimes it is placed at the be-
ginning of the dispatch, at other times at the
end. To the unntiated dispatch of this kind
will appear in the nature of a Chinese puzzle
hut to an expert cryptOgrapher the decipherng
of government code dispatch is mere child's
play.
Occasionally the dispatch will appear mere
tumble of cOnsonants without any meaning
while at other times it will be so ciphered as to
contain sensible and plausible sentences, the
meaning Of which, however, when deciphered is
entirely different from that which appears on the
surface 1t was code of this kind that was
used by the Spanish secret agents in this coun-
try during the war with Spain, and the clever
staff of Secret Service men employed by the
United States Government were in a very short
time possessed of a key to the cipher in question.
1t is perhaps due to this knowledge that there
is so much carelessness displayed in connection
with the secret code books Thus it has been
admitted by the State Department at Washing
ton that about year ago it discovered its cipher
was known to a number of South American and
European governments and that another code
IS now in use. The wonder is that the State De-
partment should have taken the trouble to devise
new cipher. The envoy naturally does not do
the work of ciphering and deciphering himself
He leaves this to secretaries. Strictly sneak
ing, the only persons he is authorized to trust
with the cipher and decipher books are full
fedged secretaries of embassy or legation.
A RULE NOT STRICTLY OBSERVED.
But, unfortunately, this rule is not adhered to.
and the writer has sometimes known Minister
10 conhde the code books and the task of
Hphering and decipherng dispatches TO personal
private secretaries and clerks, holding no com
mission or appointment from the ENJOYS gov
erhment and sometimes not even belonging to
the same nationality as His Excellency. OF
course, the employment of these personal secre-
t2rles and clerks is usually temporary especially
When they happen to be aliens, and naturally
"i-'h 'lleS rose thelr once, the temptation
turn to profitable account the information which
they have obtained while connected with the
mission, especially the knowledge concerning the
cipher, is very great.
In several countries the United States amons
the number, diplomatic appointments are given
as a reward for political services or are dis
tnbuted in accordance with the requirements of
political influence, and are merely of tenn
Porary character ENJOYS, secretaries and clerks
returning to their former occupations at the
close of their brief terms of diplomatic service
AS rule they are too patriotic and possess toe
nigh d sense of honor to render themselves
guilty Of the slightest indiscretion with regard
TO the secrets-that of the cipher code among
others-of which they have obtained KNOWLEDGE
during their spell of government service But OF
course, sometimes mistakes are made in the
selection of candidates for official efnpIoyment
and 1t merely requires one black sheep to de-
stroy the secrecy of an entire diplomatic code
Queen Victoria, the German Emperor the
Austrian Kaiser the Gar and King Humbert
are credited with being the only rulers who
have in their possession the cipher code of thefI
respective departments Of Foreign Affairs Pres
cent Mckinley, too, has the State Department
code books. But the President of the French
Republic has no such privilege Neither has
King Leopold of Belgium, King Oscar of Sweden
the Queen Regent of Spain, nor the Kings o
Denmark and Greece. and when they wish +,
communicate with their Ambassadors and En-
Voys abroad they are obliged to do so throupt
lf