Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-07-06
New Secret Code Is Taken
UP for Government Use

cable companies charged the same rate
as for word. Instead of beng as eco
nomcai as plain English, it was five
times as expensive.
Although the invention of the telegraph
caused marked change in the character
OF secret writing. eliminating arbitrary
marks. such as those used by Cardinal
Wolsey, Sir Thomas Smith and other
statesmen of the sixteenth century and
their posterity of crytopgraphers, the
inventlon OF wireless. the most remark
able means OF communication yet dis
covered. has not affected methods of
secret lnteIllgence. What can be sent
over wire can be sent without one.
The only difficulty encountered is during
bad atmospheric conditions, when accu-
rate senolns-a sine qua non in code
communication-is difficult The use of
from the use of code words that greatly
resemble each other, therefore the new
secret code OF the State War and Navy
departments will present a very con-
differ in at least two letters. This re-
duces the chances of confusion
Unless code words are pronounceable
according to the rules of eight languages,
telegraph and cable companies will not
accept them for transmission except at
so much per letter. English, French.
Spanish. German, Italian, Dutch, Portu-
guese and Latin are the eight Languages
| included by the companies in their limi-
tation.
Those in the government service be-
come acquainted after a few years with
the areas in which certain codes are
most used A message sent in code from
South Africa or some point in South
America will be Immediately attributed
to this or that code, and four times out
of five the experienced cipher and code
reader will not miss his guess.
A party OF army officers in South
message from an out-of-the-way place
in Peru:
'Kurtz killed synagogue"
One excitable member of the party,
mediately jumped to the conclusion that
an acquaintance named kurtz, known
to be in Peru. had been attacked by
Jews and killed. In the midst of male
diction the idea occurred to him that
probably there were very few Jews in
Peru.
Another member of the party dived for
code book and translated the cryptic
message to mean that Kurtz had been
taken i'll and had been sent home,
version which afterward proved to be
correct.
The language Of Japan does not lend
itself to the rules Of pronunciation of
occidental tongues, and in making up
code of secret communication the Jap
anese have compiled a volume which
contains words from practically every
modern language. AS a result Jap
anese code message is a remarkable
pOlyglot document.
The expression of words and phrases
by members is still used in the secret
communication of the French navy. 1t
is expensive to transmit, but. like other
arbitrary codes, can be translated only
when one has the key before him.
Brig Gen. George Scriven, L. s. A;
Lieut.. Russell Wilson, U. S. N, and DR..
]. f. Buck of the State Department in
formulating the new code for the three
departments represented by them have
endeavored to produce the highest type
of a form of communication that has ex-
listed since history has been written.
When Greece was the center Of the world,
even long before the golden age of Peri
cles. Spartan warriors used a form of
code called the scytalus. The secrecy of
the invention was not deep. but 1t answer
ed for an age In which there was much
flliteracy.
When a commander set out upon an
expedition he was given a round stick,
slightly tapered at one end which cor
responded exactly in size to a stick kept
in the Spartan war office. if such an office
there was. When secret communication
was desired, thin strip of parchment
was wrapped at an angle around the
stick so that the edges of the parchment
overlaped slightly. The message was
then written SO that half Of the letter
appeared above and half below the line
on which the parchment touched. When
unrolled series of illegible characters
appeared along both edges. When the
distant commander received the strip Of
parchment he wrapped it around his
scytalus and the Joined letters We're then
easily decipherable.