NAVY'S SECRET BOOKS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIX, Issue 262, 2 November 1918, Page 15

NAVY'S SECRET BOOKS.

JKAUH Sl.y GtrAltnEU SECRETS. Signal books :ire not the only coiilldentUil volumes issued to the Navy, though they are the ones most oftou mentioned. There arc eoulidc.ntial book.s about wireless, punncry, and torpedo matters, and volumes I hat arc only Issued to command-L-atcd u> persons below that position." 'Die safe keeping of confidential oooks Is Impressed ou i>vrrj<inp responsible (writi-s Tarpaulin in the "Uaiily Express"). Signal books arc ill constuut uw, of course, but th.-y are kept in a special box, and the olli.er of the walch has to satisfy himself both whoa he poes on duty and whwi he Roes off that the books are in the box Special chests are provided for other eonli.leutial volumes, and the keys of Un-se nre issued only to the commindinK officer. He pives a receipt for them when the ship Is put Into com mission. Two keys are supplied for big snips, one for the commandinß ifiicer and one for the second In command. When the commission ends the keys are tested by the naval storp officer at the they are then placed In sealed covers until the chesLs are re-issned for another com mission. Tho loss of a key must be reported to the Admiralty at once, and an incident of that sort—rare enoush, fortnna tely— j ™Ti rnorf* com mot"! on th&n would tt*n i Zeppelin bombs In Whitehall. Oonlidontial hooks sometimes have to be Ipstroyed, either because Ihey are ohsolete ■>r are worn out. A special ceremony Is ; provided for snch an event. Two officers j >ct as sacrificial priests, and the books are Darned to ashes. Before they are pnt in the furnace the I Sties and numbers have to be checked, •egistered. and certifled, the names re■mrved from the register kept in the ship, mother pflgp of the resistor. The captain j blmsrlf mnst be on* l of the rertifyiDK offi=en> in the case of boots issned only to xinmandlDg offlcecs.