THE SILVER GREYHOUND

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 80, 28 December 1935, Page 16

THE SILVER GREYHOUND

7 Badge of the King’s Messengers

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 30 odd men who follow the mysterious- thrilling and often dangerous career of King’s Messenger (writes T. E. B. Clarke in “Answers”). 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 cau 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 II 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.” Tp-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 Mesesnger is required to live within a mile of this building, and when he goes out he must leave at his home a list of the places where he may be found during the day, in case he is needed for an urgent errand. He travels with a small case which he keeps permanently packed, and he has clo.thes and uniforms deposited in capitals all over Europe; he can thus depart on a mission within a few minutes of receiving his 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 service. He will probably travel from London to Paris, then to Rome, and on .again to Vienna and Budapest, after which he will pay a number of calls in the Balkans; returning by the same route he picks up documents intended for the Foreign Office. Evpn 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 Government over £lO,OOO to issue a new code, extreme precautions are taken to guard against the latter eventuality.

proof, non-tearable paper is used, and the precious books are bound in green morocco covers.

In the ordinary way, the captains of liners act as King’s Messengers when Foreign Office documents have to be sent far abroad; but new code-books are handled only by full-time King’s Messengers, who must hand them personally to the ambassadors and consuls for whom they are intended. Even if a code-book seems to be lost beyond recovery, no chances are taken; a new cipher is at once devised. For example, a' King’s Messenger was on board the Titanic, carrying new code-, books to Washington, when that great ship foundered. The King's Messenger lost his life, and it appeared to be quite certain that the code-books had gone down to the depths of the Atlantic with him—but since the Foreign Office will never take the slightest risk, that particular code was scrapped instantly. Codes were changed every six months during the Great War, for so many secret documents were then travelling to and fro that the danger of one falling into enemy hand.? was considerably increased. However, not a single document was lost by a King's Messenger during those four tempestuous years. The Silver Greyhound men are very proud of that record—as, indeed, they have reason to be.

Many of them had narrow squeaks, just the Same. Sir Park Goff, M.P., has told of one very thrilling experience which he underwent at that time while going about his duties as King’s Messenger. He was carrying ciphers to Scandinavia and Russia in a neutral ship when a German destroyer appealed on the scene and signalled the vessel to stop. Sir Park Goff immediately concealed himself in the stern. The destroyer came alongside, and her commander inquired if there were any Englishmen aboard. “Good God, sir, do you think I would carry any English on this ship?” exclaimed the skipper.

Down in the stern, Sir Park Goff waited, his code-books beside him in a weighted bag. By arrangement with the skipper, he would be warned by hearing the bo’sun’s whistle should a search be made. He would then drop his possessions overboard and go to hide in the bunkers. The German commander, however, was satisfied by the skipper’s words and departed without searching.

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. He 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 Messengers, with a revolver; but it was obvious that he would have no chance against so many opponents if he were to put up a fight. Drawing the weapon, therefore, he turned it on himself.

“If you don’t give 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.”

Occasionally, however, it has happened that a code-book has been lost, or stolen, from an embassy or a consulate. Every other embassy and consulate is immediately told the grave news, and a reserve code is brought into operation the same day; meanwhile a new one is prepared by the code experts of the Foreign Office. Or rather, several are prepared and one. of them is chosen by the Foreign Secretary; thus the inventors do not know which code is being used. The new code is printed by Foreign Office men on the premises; there are special presses in the basement of the building to make this possible. Five hundred copies are turned out. Water-

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 and nothing has been heard of them again. Never has a word regarding their fate been allowed to appear 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!