# Ways of passing information between the State Department and overseas Ambassadors or officials dealing with foreign intelligence **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [November 18, 2021, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ways-of-passing-information-between-the-state-department-and-overseas-ambassadors-or-officials-dealing-with-foreign-intelligence/954550 "2021-11-18T05:30:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![cannonkuo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b9bd4f/32.png) [@cannonkuo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cannonkuo)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2021, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ways-of-passing-information-between-the-state-department-and-overseas-ambassadors-or-officials-dealing-with-foreign-intelligence/954550/1 "2021-11-18T05:30:39Z")
Based on security reasons, usually how do US Ambassadors overseas communicate with and pass on information to the State Department? Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2021, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ways-of-passing-information-between-the-state-department-and-overseas-ambassadors-or-officials-dealing-with-foreign-intelligence/954550/2 "2021-11-18T06:21:01Z")
Historically, it was done via a “diplomatic pouch” and that is probably still used. Documents were placed in a pouch, and nations mutually agreed that this pouch was inviolable. In modern times, the obvious thing to do is communicate via highly secure end-to-end encryption technology. ---
**Author:** ![cannonkuo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b9bd4f/32.png) [@cannonkuo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cannonkuo)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2021, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ways-of-passing-information-between-the-state-department-and-overseas-ambassadors-or-officials-dealing-with-foreign-intelligence/954550/3 "2021-11-18T06:25:13Z")
Thank you so much for your instant reply. Does the pouch mean some kind of “envelope” delivered by air? And the encryption technology means something like Morse codes? Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2021, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ways-of-passing-information-between-the-state-department-and-overseas-ambassadors-or-officials-dealing-with-foreign-intelligence/954550/4 "2021-11-18T06:33:50Z")
There’s nothing at all encrypt about Morse code. I was referring to modern electronic encryption and security technology, with intensively long unbreakable encryption keys, and such. I don’t know any details, but I am sure that they have much more elaborate and secure technologies than are commonly available to us generic Internet users. That is on top of everything they might do to keep their communications secure against eavesdropping in the first place. Diplomatic pouches go back to antiquity, I believe. Yes, it was a physical pouch of some sort that you could put documents in. It would be shipped by boat across the oceans (before airplanes) and perhaps carried by courier on horseback. Wikipedia has a brief page about diplomatic pouches. Given that they were supposed to be inviolate, they were also used sometimes for smuggling. The Wiki page mentions that Winston Churchill allegedly obtained Cuban cigars this way. > **[Diplomatic bag](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diplomatic_bag)** > > Pages for logged out editors learn more > > A diplomatic bag, also known as a diplomatic pouch, is a container with certain legal protections used for carrying official correspondence or other items between a diplomatic mission and its home government or other diplomatic, consular, or otherwise official entity. The physical concept of a "diplomatic bag" is flexible and it can take many forms (e.g., a cardboard box, briefcase, duffel bag, large suitcase, crate or even a shipping container). > ... ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2021, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ways-of-passing-information-between-the-state-department-and-overseas-ambassadors-or-officials-dealing-with-foreign-intelligence/954550/5 "2021-11-18T06:34:49Z")
“Morse code”? Seriously? Please google the word “encryption “. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2021, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ways-of-passing-information-between-the-state-department-and-overseas-ambassadors-or-officials-dealing-with-foreign-intelligence/954550/6 "2021-11-18T06:37:32Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > “Morse code”? Seriously? Please google the word “encryption “.   They might well have used Morse code back in the day when that was the cutting edge in remote communication technology – but of course, that in itself wasn’t secure at all. They would certainly have elaborate code books or other encryption techniques (that we would today call “primitive”) on top of their Morse code messages. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2021, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ways-of-passing-information-between-the-state-department-and-overseas-ambassadors-or-officials-dealing-with-foreign-intelligence/954550/7 "2021-11-18T06:38:03Z")
I would imagine most diplomatic offices use [one-time pads](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One-time_pad) for their encrypted communications. ---
**Author:** ![cannonkuo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b9bd4f/32.png) [@cannonkuo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cannonkuo)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2021, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ways-of-passing-information-between-the-state-department-and-overseas-ambassadors-or-officials-dealing-with-foreign-intelligence/954550/8 "2021-11-18T06:39:11Z")
Forgive my ignorance… Now i know the difference between the two. Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![cannonkuo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b9bd4f/32.png) [@cannonkuo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cannonkuo)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2021, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ways-of-passing-information-between-the-state-department-and-overseas-ambassadors-or-officials-dealing-with-foreign-intelligence/954550/9 "2021-11-18T06:40:26Z")
Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2021, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ways-of-passing-information-between-the-state-department-and-overseas-ambassadors-or-officials-dealing-with-foreign-intelligence/954550/10 "2021-11-18T06:41:06Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > “Morse code”? Seriously? Please google the word “encryption “. Was this necessary? The purpose of this board is for people to ask questions and learn new things. ---
**Author:** ![cannonkuo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b9bd4f/32.png) [@cannonkuo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cannonkuo)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2021, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ways-of-passing-information-between-the-state-department-and-overseas-ambassadors-or-officials-dealing-with-foreign-intelligence/954550/11 "2021-11-18T06:43:11Z")
Thank you all. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2021, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ways-of-passing-information-between-the-state-department-and-overseas-ambassadors-or-officials-dealing-with-foreign-intelligence/954550/12 "2021-11-18T14:24:12Z")
And there were coded messages sent over telegraph to embassy’s before WW1. The Zimmerman telegram comes to mind. ---
**Author:** ![Daithi\_Lacha](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/daithi_lacha/32/5430_2.png) [@Daithi\_Lacha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daithi_Lacha)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2021, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ways-of-passing-information-between-the-state-department-and-overseas-ambassadors-or-officials-dealing-with-foreign-intelligence/954550/13 "2021-11-18T14:38:12Z")
Which, IIRC, was routed through Britain who solemnly swore not to interpret the code, which of course they promptly did and alerted the US. So decidedly _not_ a secure method of communication. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2021, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ways-of-passing-information-between-the-state-department-and-overseas-ambassadors-or-officials-dealing-with-foreign-intelligence/954550/14 "2021-11-18T14:48:57Z")
With the exception of the diplomatic pouch, there’s really no way to keep messages from being _intercepted_; you just need to make sure they can’t be _understood_ by anybody but the intended recipient. Diplomats and agents have been doing this for centuries with varying degrees of success. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2021, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ways-of-passing-information-between-the-state-department-and-overseas-ambassadors-or-officials-dealing-with-foreign-intelligence/954550/15 "2021-11-18T15:10:09Z")
I would think that in 1917 diplomatic relations between Britain and Germany were null and void due to the ongoing war, so no need for Britain to maintain diplomatic niceties. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2021, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ways-of-passing-information-between-the-state-department-and-overseas-ambassadors-or-officials-dealing-with-foreign-intelligence/954550/16 "2021-11-18T16:30:06Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Was this necessary? The purpose of this board is for people to ask questions and learn new things. Yes, I understand the purpose of the board. Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2021, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ways-of-passing-information-between-the-state-department-and-overseas-ambassadors-or-officials-dealing-with-foreign-intelligence/954550/17 "2021-11-18T17:30:49Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > “Morse code”? Seriously? Please google the word “encryption “. Mod note: Don’t be a jerk. No warning. As one poster said, the purpose of the board is to fight ignorance, not ridicule it. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2021, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ways-of-passing-information-between-the-state-department-and-overseas-ambassadors-or-officials-dealing-with-foreign-intelligence/954550/18 "2021-11-18T17:31:34Z")
Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2021, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ways-of-passing-information-between-the-state-department-and-overseas-ambassadors-or-officials-dealing-with-foreign-intelligence/954550/19 "2021-11-18T17:38:00Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > . I don’t know any details, but I am sure that they have much more elaborate and secure technologies than are commonly available to us generic Internet users. You may be right, but short of a one-time pad (which has the problem of delivery) I am not sure there is anything that can beat RSA encryption. They tried to stop its export, but it was fully described in one paragraph in Scientific American a few decades ago and anyone who understands Fermat’s little theorem will understand it immediately. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2021, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ways-of-passing-information-between-the-state-department-and-overseas-ambassadors-or-officials-dealing-with-foreign-intelligence/954550/20 "2021-11-18T21:15:07Z")
It’s widely thought that the Libyan government, in 1984, used a diplomatic pouch to sneak out of the UK a pair of submachine guns used to kill a London police officer: [Murder of Yvonne Fletcher - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Yvonne_Fletcher#Siege:_18%E2%80%9327_April_1984)