The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-01-20
The nsiIVer crevhound.u

New York Mail: Few persons eveu
know that such a class of men as "the
silver greyhounds" exists. And vet
these modest, diplomatic ~oflcials are
a most important part Of every great
nations civil service. When two pow
ers are in a delicate position, when
The dogs OF war are strasning at their
leashes, it Is not always safe to trust
messages to. ambassadors from tho
secretary of state or the home Office
To the mails or telegraph. They might
be intercepted and thus spoil carefully
laid plans. Thus it is necessary to
employ oficial messengers who can be
trusted implicitly.
In our own diplomatic service this
work is generally performed by secret
service men whose names are known
only to the heads of the departments
and embassies who employ them. For
foreign service they must be good
~linguists and familiar with the trans
portation facilities in the countries
through which they travel.
In England this service has reached
its highest point Indeed it is there
that the term "silver greyhound
originated. The messengers wear a
badge OF a silver greyhound surnount-
ed by the kings crown.
An appointment as a kings messenr
ger is only obtained through powerful
influence. The men appointed are OF
great II and intelligence, q. very
necessary qualification being that they
should be good linguists.
The messengers are termed ''silveI
greyhounds"N because their badge OF
Office consists OF a silver greyhound,
surmounted by an imperial crown
attached to a red ribbon. The badge
is always carried by a kings messen-
ger, but the semi-military uniform
which is part Of his equipment, Is
seldom used excepting in wal times
and then only In circumstances when
it becomes part of his passport from
one country to another.
Story writer's have often woven
thrilling narratives around the duties
OF a silver greyhound" and
exciting tales have been told OF UNI
scrupulous plotters who have en-
deavored to obtain the contents oil
their dispatch cases. At times sucl
stories have been founded on fact; fol
it may be recalled how the dispatches
in connection with the Dreyfus affair
sent by the German ambassador al
Paris to Berlin by imperial messenger
were surreptitiousiy opened and the
contents photographed during the trir
from Paris TO TIE GSTTndh IrOnLleT. II
will thus be realized that the career
Of the bearer Of the kings dispatches
is not, even in these prosaic days
altogether without an element 81
excitement.
At the same time, however, the mes.
sengers are employed occasionally up
on very trivial errands, and there is &
story that a gentleman on board 9
steamer one day observed that a mes
senEer whom he knew was not guard.
ing his bag with the extreme vigilance
which tradition prescribed. He sug.
| gested that there was some risk o.
the bag being tempered with, and re-
ceived the light-hearted reply: We'll
the thief would only get the ambas-
| sailors old boots, which ] am taking
| home to be mended."
King Edward kept his secret post
men very busy. for he was continual.
iy travelling about Europe, and the
messengers services were required al
most every day for the purpose o.
| carrying dispatches between hi!
| majesty and the cabinet. King George
however, is no so fond of travelling
and the consequence Is that tn,
foreign service messengers have had
somewhat idle time. IT is for thil
| reason that 1t is proposed to sreduc'
the number of messengers. who. dur
ing the lifetime of King Edward, wer,
employed to carry dispatches betweer
London and Biarritz, the Riviera, 81
1 Marienbad, where his majesty ss
frequently stayed.