The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1907-11-14
CAREFULLY GUARDED SECRETS.
Few OF the King's Household Know
About his Private Affairs.

of things they are compelled by the
necessities Of their position to take
someone into their confidence with
respect to almost every detail of their
daily life. But for the most part these
condolences are Iealously guarded, ana
in hundred and one ways the public
curiosity has to satisfy itself with
more or less plausible "guesses ut
truth"
To take an example The last viii
and testament of Queen Victoria has
never been disclosed, as the law OF
proOate does not apply to the sovor-
eign Of the realm, says Cassel's Jour
nal. For several years before her de-
mise the society gossips used to pro-
fess an intimate knowledge OF It's con-
tents: they knew how many folios 1t
occupied, the exact number of cod
ellis, the color of its bindings ana
other irrelevant facts. Bat all their
predictions nave been falsihad by ~
cnts, and although It is sometimes de-
clared that many persons about the
court are familiar with It's chief pro
visions, there are probably not haf
a dozen people, besides her late ma
jesty's own children, who have any
real knowledge about 1t, and they wall
never tell. Even to this day the puD-
lie is entirely in the dlrE as to m,
provisions of the will of the prnca
consort, and It is purely a guess tina
the chief logatec was his august va
ow.
Take the case Of k.ny Edwards
private investments. These are known
to but three couruers, and only one
schedule Of them, 1t may be said with
confidence, is in existence. People
profess to know of large purchases
of West End ground rents. of huge
commitments in American railways,
and so forth. For the most part, how
ever, these securities are held in the
names CT trusty intimates who are
themselves large investors. and no es-
Inmates of his majesty's personal es-
tate has any value whatever Many
European sovereigns, especially in the
more restless portions Of the CONT
keep the bulk of their private for
tunes in the strong rooms OF The
Rothschilds and other financial houses
in Ioudcn and elsewhere, where their
secrets are inviolable.
One veteran monarch, to the writ
er's knowledge, conducted his private
business with his London agents
through the medium of young En-
glishman, whose duties were quite un-
suspected, even by his own relatives.
Whenever he came across the chan
mel he used to put up with q linen
draper whose acquaintance he formed
in his boyhood, and by this means
his movements were kept secret. II
anyone had inquired his business, he
would have produced case of COM
mercial samples and offered to open
an account.
King Luward carries at one end OF
his gold albert gold KEEP which
his gold albert a gold key which
there is no duplicate. All state pap
ers. however, are kept in despatch
boxes until transferred to the safes
in the secretariat and of these the
keys are kept by Lord Knollys. When
.is majesty has quilted his personal
apartment no servant is allowed 10
enter until an assistant secretary has
destroyed the contents of the waste
paper backet, the blotting pads. and
even the printed wrappers Of newspap-
ers received from every capital in
Europe. 1t is an unwritten law that
the private secretary shall not indulge
In gossipy diary after the manner
OF Samuel Pepys-he must, of neces-
sity, keep a daily record OF bare facts
and certain courtiers, including the
maids of honor, are required as
condition Of their service to enter into
an obligation OF the same kind.
All royal kilograms are manipulated
by a special operator. who is reserv-
ed for this duty. Unlike public mes
sages, no duplicates are kept, and the
original messages. in certain instances
are promptly returned to lie palace.
after note has been made Of the
number OF words for the purpose OF &C
count. The cipher codes which are
used between the foreign Office and
the embassies abroad are not employ
ed for the personal messages Of the
king, nor is any system OF cryptic
writing usual between monarch and
monarch.
The German emperor encloses all
his private letters in waterproof en-
velopes OF special make, He is be-
lieyed to make freer use OF secret de-
vices in corresponding with his minis
ters and others than any other Euro
pean monarch, and there is no doubt
that his private safes contain a mass
OF secret intelligence, strategic mem
oranda made by his own hand, and
other matter which, in England, are
left to the departments responsible
for such things. 1t Is understood that
he keeps no private diary, but the
Empress Augusta has been accustom-
ed ever since her m arriape IN commit