KING'S MESSENGERS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 72, 7 January 1936, Page 8

KING'S MESSENGERS.

MEN OF THE SILVER GREYHOUND.

International complications, such as those which are disturbing the world's peace-of mind at the moment, mean a busier and more anxious time than ever for the thirty odd men who follow the mysterious, thrilling, and often dangerous career of King's Messenger, says the "News-Chronicle."

As you read these words many of them will be journeying to capitals, in all parts of the globe, bearing documents which contain some of the most closely-guarded .secrets of the State. Entrusted to them by the Foreign Office for delivery at British Embassies and Consulates abroad, these documents must not be allowed to leave their possession for a single moment. The King's Messengers are known as the wearers of the Silver Greyhound, for their badge of office is an emblem from which a tiny silver greyhound is suspended. By showing' it they can get a car, a special train, a steamer, an aeroplane, or even a warship placed immediately at their disposal ; they can have traffic held up for them and they can secure admission to any foreign country without having to show a passport or make a Customs declaration. It was Charles 11. who started the King's Messenger Service, and he did it while in exile. The first silver greyhound badges were figures of dogs removed by him from the lid of an ornamental porringer and given to his messengers as "credentials." To-day the Silver Greyhound men still carry occasional messages-to and from the King personally; but the bulk of their duties are on behalf of the Foreign Office. A King's Messenger is required to live within a mile of this building and whenever he goes out he must leave at his home a list of the places where he may be found during the day, in case ho is needed for an urgent errand. Ho travels with a small case which ho keeps permanently packed and he has clothes and uniforms deposited in capitals all over Europe; he can thus i depart on rt mission within a few minutes of receiving bis summons. In addition to the many sudden journeys that they are called upon to make, every week a King's Messenger is sent on a tour of the European capitals with documents which must go regularly to our Embassies and Consulates, but which are too precious to be sent by the ordinary mail services. He will probably travel from London to Paris, then to Rome and on again to Vienna and Budapest, after which be will pay a number of calls in the Balkans; returning by the same he picks up documents intended for the Foreign Office. Even more important than journeys of this kind are those which he undertakes when a new Foreign Office code has to be distributed. The cipher used for the communication of State secrets is changed every three years —or if ever there is a possibility that it has got into other hands. Since it costs the British Government over £IO,OOO to issue a new code, extreme precautions are taken to guard against the latter eveutualitv.

Even in times of peace the King's .Messengers frequently have to run risks. One was captured by a horde of Mexican bandits and all his belongings purloined. Ho pleaded to be given back his wallet for this contained the message that he was bearing. The bandits, however, laughed at his request. He was armed, as are nearly all the King's Mesengers, with a revolver; but it was obvious that he would have no chance against so many opponents if be were to put up a light. Drawing the weapon, therefore, he tinned it on himself. "If you don't give me back my wallet, I shall commit suicide," he threatened. "You will have been responsible for my death, and the Government forces will hunt you down and punish you." His threat was effective. Though keeping everything else, the bandit leader gave him back his wallet. On several occasions King's Messengers have vanished without trace .ind nothing has been heard of them again. .Never has a word regarding their fate been allowed to appeal- in the newspapers. But it is usual for them to be followed wherever they go by a guard who seldom allows them out of his sight. So unobtrusive are these guards that often the King's Messengers are themselves unaware that they are being shadowed.