Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-04-15

| NA'>'' bRANttb WASHINGTON ana me
american diplomats abroad, one CT
the Few expert codemakers In this
city was asked whether Il would he
possible for person to interpret the
governments code, IL he were unfa.
iniliar with II. The codemaker
thought The cipher might easily liz
read. II II were cryptograph. as he
believed II TO be. and the silence OF
washington with regard To the stolen
copy gave point to his remarks and
seemed TO Indicate the Significance OF
tho leak"
Codemakers are frequently called
upon 10 decipher messages which
nave puzzled their recipients, and
they usually succeed in making SEN
sible interpretation: indeed. they are
able TO read any cipher unless 1t has
been altered by preconcerted signals.
This Is one reason why business
houses require absolute secrecy on
The part Of the experts they employ
to make their codes, and why tho
books are so carefully guarded there
after
Since the early days OF cabling bus
mess men have found II convenient
and economical 10 convey information
by means OF single words or phrases
Such word as "Jones" might mean
The price of wheat has gone up
and contain other facts regarding tho
lgrain market But these codes were
crude as compared with those to be
developed later. and now n man may
have little book. weighing half n
pound or less. representing millions OF
Expressions
II is estimated that 100000 persons
In this country use codes regularly,
aud some firms pay 100000, and even
! S250,O00. year for cabling. Thus
the code experts profession Is i'm
poriant. and IL Is necessary for him
10 be able readily TO grasp the de
tails of business when he begins
to evolve code for its requirements.
| Coles may l'a divided into four
classes. First. there IL the private
code, which is written especially for
an individual or firm: second. there
Is the general conversation code. OF
(which thousands are printed, some
selling rs high as $4,000 copies. and
bringing as much profit az best
selling novel," The first general code
OF importance was written In 1883.
and IT, has been followed by many
others of similar design. Copies of
each general code are. of course,
Identical and for the buyer TO cont
municate with the seller. or vice ver-
sa, It is necessary only for them to
agree to use n certain book.
a third type Is public code do
signed for specific line of business.
There are codes for the grain and
timber trades. for mining, and even
| for the theater.
The fourth type is the blank code
made up of code words with blank
lines attached or 1.-THE numerical sys-
TEN. which enable 4 person TO make
a code covering his individual re-
quirements. II he chooses TO do so.
In speaking Of the various classes,
codemaker said:
THE science Of cooling is made o
follow certain vital points. They are
ECONOMY. secrecy. coInprehensivenes
and safety in telegraphlng. Safety
means the use OF words which an OBJ
orator can't mutilate easily. In the
making OF n code. one point or anoth-
er Is frequently sacrificed: for In
stance. economy for comprehensive
ness, or vice versa. In certain busi-
nesses, like that of stock exchange
houses. all points may be subordinat-
ed TO rapidly. A stock brokers' code
must be so arranged that of stock eX-
| change houses, all points may be
isubordinated to rapld!ty. A stock
brokers code must be so arranged
that the user can readily find what
he wants. A message Is sent 10 Lon
don and an answer is received in
from three to four minutes; so you
Twill see the necessity for n code that
will work quickly
Before the International Telegraph
Convention of 1903. codemakers were
lsupposed TO use only dictionary words,
with maximum of 10 letters. from
the English, French. Dutch. Italian
Portuguese, Spanish and Latin LAM
guages. In their compilations they
gathered set number of phrases,
which were supposed to cover the
general requirements OF business
1t will readily be seen that a certain
| individuality entered into the compi-
lation of general codes. because in
their efforts to reduce the bulk of tho
books authors eliminated those
phrases which they did not think ne
cessary
For instance, If an author thought
that phrase in the negative was i'm
peratiye ne would put 1t in the code,
but If he did not consider the affirm
alive. he would leave II out If he
would have Incorporated every ex-
preston in the first, second and third
persons. with questions and answers
past. present. and future, negative
and affirmative, his code. as thick
and heavy as IL was would have
reached immense proportions.
The expansion of modern business
and the complexity of business de-
manded more elastic codes than could
be compiled from the dictionary words
permitted Accordingly. the code