Waterbury Democrat., 1902-04-03
BRITISH DIPLOMATIC SECRETS
Rigid Measures Adapted to Prevent
 Them From Becoming Public.

It says much for the integrity of government officials that all know ledge of our important treaty with Japan was successfully withheld from foreign nations until the compact had been actually sealed. but the great care exercised in guarding q diplo- matic secret renders q premature an nouncement very rare indeed.
 No government secret when first born is ever committed to paper, ex- cept on the rare occasions when min uteS of q cabinet meeting are taken and forwarded to the sovereign. AS rule. our ministers meet and transact business, without anyone being the wiser. for no official of any kind is allowed to be present.
 Once the government has decided upon an important piece of foreign policy. it has to be transmitted to our representative abroad, and for the first time the secret is put in writing i'll the form of unintelligible cipher, the key to which is already in the hands of our ambassador. The men who draw up these intricate cipher codes are reliable officials specially employed by the government, and they often obtain from five to seven hundred pounds for a single code.
 The dispatch having been prepared, it is given into the care of q kings messenger. who wears attached to his person bag fitted with a secret lock. To this lock there are only two keys; one in the possession of the foreign office and the other retained by our ambassador, who must unlock the bag himself or instruct his secretary to do so upon the messengers arrival.
 The journey between this country and abroad is a risky one, because the messenger is beset with spies, and, although he travels incognito and well armed, there is always the chance of his being set upon and robbed. To avoid this. when an important dis patch is being carried. he is shad- owed by two detectives throughout the journey, so that they can instantly come to his assistance if necessary.
 When travelling by rail he engages q special compartment. and if called upon to do so he will have to lose his life before sacrificing the dispatch In return he receives salary of four hundred pounds a year. in addition to one pound a day when travelling and all expenses found, but before being employed he has to be nominated by an official filling an important posi- tion under government, who will hold himself responsible for his being a re- liable messenger and not foreign agent. Sometimes. to avoid danger. the courier carries with him the spe- cial sanction of international law. yV bnrnhu nuatsv cn11nfrx- he passes becomes responsible for his safety.
 On arrival the messenger goes to the embassy and hands over the bag either to the ambassador personally or his secretary, who has had verbal or ders from his chief to receive it, no written instructions being accepted as genuine, nor must the bag be given to anyone holding an inferior post to that of confidential secretary. Tn every embassy there is . strong room where in dispatches are stored in an enor- nous safe. the key of which is held only by the ambassador, and no one but himself is permitted to enter the chamber. Every night two watch men remain outside the door with loaded revolvers, having orders to shoot down any marauder.
 Obviously great care has to be taken that no information shall leak out from the officials themselves. and with the exception of Britain and IT, ally, no European nation will permit any member of an embassy to marry woman of the country in which they are employed. Even the ambassadors themselves are bound By the same rule; and some years ago when Ger many's representative in London. Prince Henry of Pless. wished to mar " Miss Cornwallis West. he had to surrender his position before being able to do so.-Tit-Bits.