Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-09-26
KINGS MESSENGER
ENCOUNTERS MUCH DANGER

From the London Saturday Journal.
There is no more interesting career
than that of a kings foreign service
messenger nor one which the outside
world knows less about. There are
seven of these messengers in all, and
they are attached to the foreign office.
The chief of these messengers receives
G4OO a year and the others $3.50; but
despite this comparatively modest sal
airy the posts are eagerly sought after.
and when vacancy occurs there is
very keen competition to secure it.
Though the post and telegraph are
largely utilized today by the foreign
office. it Is still tradition that all i'm
portant papers shall be carried by mes
sengers. so that these are constantly
travelling about Europe and enjoy ia
cilities for seeing life abroad that are de-
MED to any other officials. The whole of
their travelling expenses are. of course,
paid by the government and 1t may be
added that these expenses are computed
upon a very liberal scale. When they
reach their destination they become the
guests of TIE minister or the foreign
they find their lines cast In very pleas
ant places.
Even in these prosaic days these kings
messengers have many adventures. and
often they travel almost with their lives
in their hands. Early in this year, just
before the deposition of the ex-Sultan OF
Turkey, a messenger was dispatched with
important papers for Sir Gerald Lowther.
our ambassador at ConStantinople. This
fact became known to the revolutionary
party, and. since it was generally under
%l,,< <1,<y Ear hoo \ r1Cv m
tanned important instructions from the
British government regarding the atti-
tude that our representative was to take
up in the event of a crisis being preclp-
Nated determined efforts were made to
get the papers from him.
The trains crossing the Turkish frontier
were all carefully watched by spies in
the pay of the revolutionaries. and at
length the messenger was recognized. The
best means by which TO obtain possession
Of his papers were carefully considered.
Though it was practically certain that
his dispatches would be borne upon his
person and not in his baggage, his bags
were carefully lost as soon as ne en-
tered Turkish territory. and when they
came to light later in Constantfnopie they
bore unmstakable signs of having been
tempered with.
Two endeavors were made to enter his
sleeping compartment in the train, but
both these were frustrated. while the
messenger, fully alive to what was going
forward took good care to let it be
known that he always carried loaded
revolver and would not hesitate to use
It should occasion render 1T necessary.
1t was then decided that final effort
would have to be made in Constantinople
itself, and before the messenger could
reach the British embassy. This how
ever he neatly countered by quitting the
train early one morning at little way
side station some distance from the cap
ital and completing the journey by mo-
tor car, for which he had wired some time
previously.
While the king is abroad the foreign
service messengers have a very busy
time. They leave Downing street twice
week. and are the official method of COM
munication between his majesty and his
ministers. When the king is taking one
of his frequent yachting trips abroad II
is often a matter of considerable diff
Guilty to reach him, and one of the mes
sengers had an exciting chase after the
royal yacht few years ago. He was
handed dispatches and told that his maj
esty would probably be at Malta upon
certain date He found there was
steamer leaving J~ondon that would en-
able him to reach his destination with
few hours to spare.
When he arrived at Malta. however.
lie fou,hl that the royal yacht was not
there. nor was 1t expected. Hasty cables
10 the foreign office resulted in his being
ordered to Gibraltar. where 1t was
thought his majesty might put in. a tor
pedo boat destroyer of the Mediterranean
fleet was placed at the messengers dis
posal. and he hurried off to THE Rock"