Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-08-19
Guard Rulers Secrets.

things they arc compelled by the ne
ccssities Of their position to take
some one into their confidence with
respect to almost every detail Of their
daily life. But for the most part
these condolences are jealousy guard
ca, and in a hundred and one ways
the public curiosity has to satisfy It
self with more or less plausible guess
es at truth" says "Cassell's Saturday
Journal"
To take an example. the last Will
and testament of Queen Victoria mas
never been disclosed, as the law OF
probate docs not apply to the sovereign
of the realm. For several years De-
fore her demise the society goaslpS
used to profess an intimate knowledge
of its contents; they knew how many
folios. it occupied, the exact number Oh
codicils. the color of it's binding ana
other irrelevant facts. But all thelr
predictions have falsified by events,
and although it is sometimes declared
that many persons about the court are
familiar with it's chief provisions, there
are probably not a half dozen people
besides her late majestys own ci,li-
drcn who have any real knowledge
about it, and they will never zen. Ete"
to this day the public is cntlrely IN thc
dark as to the provisions OF the VIII Oh
the Prince Consort, and 1t IS purely
guess that the chief lesatee was ms
august widow.
Take the case of King EDWARD 5
private investments. These are known
to only three courtiers, and only one
schedule OF them, it may be said with
confidence, is in existence. People
profess to know of large purchases, of
West End ground rent. of huge COM
mitmcnts in American railways, and so
forth. For the most part, however,
these securities are held in the names
| OF trusty intimatcs who are them
selves large Investors, and no estimate
Of his majesty's personal estate has
any value whatever. Many European
sovereigns, especially in the more rest
| less portions Of the continent, are sald,
with much reason, to keep the BULK
| of their private fortunes in the strong
rooms of the Rothschilds and other
| financial houses in London and else
where, where their secrets are IN
violahle.
One veteran monarch to the writer's
knowledge, conducted his private BUSH
ness with his London agents through
the medium of a young Englishman.
whose duties were quite unsupported
even by his own relatives. whenever
| he came across the Channel he used 10
put up with a linen draper, whose ac-
ouaintance he formed in his boyhood,
and by this means his movements were
kent secret. If any one had inquired
his business he would have produced
case of commercial samples and Of
fered to open an account
King Edward carries at one end of
his gold albert a>gold key which opens
his private writing desk, and there is
no duplicate All state papers. how
ever. are kept in dispatch boxes until
transferred to the safes in the secre-
tariat, and of these the keys are kept
by Lord Knollys. When his majesty
has quilted his personal apartment no
servant is allowed to enter until an
assistant secretary has destroyed the
contents of the waste basket the blot
ting pads and even the printed wrap
pers of newspapers received from
every capital of Europe. 1t is an I'M
written law that the private secretary
shall not indulge i'm a ,ssipy diary af-
must, Of necessity. keep a daily record
of bare facts-and certain courtiers.
including the maids of honor. are re-
quired as condition II their service
10 enter into an obligation of the same
kind.
All royal kilograms pass through st.
Martin'sle-Grand, and are manipulate
ed by a special operator. who is re-
served for this duty. Unlike public
messages no duplicates are kept. and
the original messages, in certain in
stances, are promptly returned to tn,
palace, after q Rote has been made of
the number Of words for the purpose
of the account. The cipher codes which
arc used between the Foreign Office
and the embassies abroad are not ON
rloycd for the personal messages of
the King, nor is any system of cryptic
writing usual between monarch and
monarch.
The German Emperor incloses all his
private letters in waterproof envelopes
of certain make. He is believed to
make freer use of secret devices in
correspondence with his ministers and
others than any other European mon
arch, and there is no doubt that his
private safes contain mass OF secret
intelligence. strategic memoranda
made by his own hand, and other mat
ter which. in this country. are left to
the departments responsible for such
things. 1t is understood that he keeps
no private diary, but the Empress Au-
gusta has been accustomed ever since
her marriage to commit her thoughts
on current affairs to writing, and each
January the diary for the previous
years is locked and preserved in her
jewel case.
The Car Of Russia has heavy
burden to bear by reason Of the sus-
picion with which he is compelled to
regard even his most intimate
courtiers He is known to keep a
private record to which no one besides
the Empress has access, and there is no
doubt that many things which. in
happier surroundings would be freely
discussed with his courtiers are shared
by the Empress alone. His absolute
control of the treasury enables him to
conduct his personal finances in the
Crn1test cprrocy