SOLVING C I P H E R S E C R E T S Edited by M. E . Ohaver
WITH EXPLANATIONS AND ANSWERS TO M. WALKER'S PHONETIC CIPHERS NOS. 145 AND 147, AND A NEW AND IMPORTANT LIST OF SOLVERS
NO doubt our readers are al l set for a glimpse of the alphabet which M . Walker used in preparing his pho
netic Ciphers Nos. 145 and 147, published in the last two issues. So without further preamble we take pleasure in appending it in ful l . T h e proper values of characters which have more than one sound in ordinary usage are shown in parentheses.
E (eel) Y (ves) Z I ( i t ) W (we) s (see)
A (ape) L Z H (azure) E (end) R S B (she) A (alms) M B A (an) N P A (al l ) N G D 0 (dog) H T 0 (old) V J U (up) F C H (chin)
0 0 (moon) T H (the) G (go) 0 0 (foot) T H (thin) K C
Instead of listing his characters alphabetically, our correspondent has arranged them in approximately their scientific order, beginning with the vowels—first c o l u m n — the coalescents ( W and Y ) next, then the liquids ( L and R ) , the nasals ( M , N , and N G ) , the aspirate ( H ) , and finishing up with the continuants ( V to S H ) and e.x-plodents ( B to K ) .
Since this alphabet does not use special characters for the diphthongs, it is necessary to represent these by the proper combinations of simple vowel sounds, thus: I by A - I ( A as in alms, I as in it); 0 1 by
A - I ( A as in all, I as in it); and O U by A - 0 0 ( A as in alms, 0 0 as in joot).
So much for the phonetic alphabet; now for the ciphers. I n No. 145 the following series of thirty-six symbols was used as cipher alphabet. / standing for E ( long) , 2 for I ( short ) , and so on, Z, lastly, being used for K . T o avoid confusion with the figures I and o, the letters I and O are not used in the cipher alphabet.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 9 * 0 & A B C D E F G H J K L M N P Q R ; S T U V W X Y Z
Decipherment with the key, of course, is done exactly as in the ordinary simple substitution cipher, as shown herewith where part of the cryptogram is given at (a), phonetic equivalents at (b), and ordinary spelling at (c). M r . Walker ' s text is the well known quotation from Shakespeare.
(a) K D 4 F U N D 9 E 6 F N Z * F V D 2 E 4 F . . . (b) F R E N D Z R O M A N Z K U N T R I M E N . . . (c) " F r i e n d s , Romans, countrymen . . ."
Without the key, decipherment could start here with a comparison of the short words. T h u s , the groups Li, L6V, and L3D, all beginning in L and B2L, ending in L , suggest the value T H (voiced) for L , and such words as T H E , T H E M , T H I S , W I T H , and so on, for the groups.
T a k i n g Li for T H E and B2L for W I T H , for example, would give the values r = E ( long) , 5 = W , and 2 = 1 ( shor t ) . B y sub-
S O L V I N G C I P H E R S E C R E T S 639 stituting these throughout the cryptogram, other words are partly deciphered and additional phonetic symbols determined. Pre-quencies can also be considered. I n fact, decipherment can proceed along the same lines as with an ordinary simple substitution alphabet.
A ' l this, of course, requires more or less famil iar i ty w i t h phonetic spelling. A n d in this connection we may add that of a l l spellings the accepted orthography of the E n g l ish language is the most irregular. T h i s difference between sound and symbol, however, is not intentionally arbitrary. I t is the result of gradual change in pronunciat ion which has not been accompanied by corresponding change in spelling.
F o r example, the spelling " knight " was phonetic in the fourteenth century, for then the initial " k " was actually sounded, and " gh " was pronounced l ike " ch " in German. So-called " spelling reforms " are only efforts to have the spelling of the language keep pace with the change in pronunciation. Books on phonetics are, fortunately, neither so rare nor so difficult to obtain as tho.se on cryptography. And we should be glad to send a short list of them, chosen wi th the needs of the cipher fan in mind, to any one who is interested.
I n Cipher No. 147 the phonetic alphabet was represented by the following cipher series: (f irst column) I - I - E - E - A - A -A - A - O - U - U - U ; (second column) W - Y - R -L - M - N - G G - Q U - F - V - H - H ; ( third column) S - Z - S W - Z W - P - B - T - D - C - J - K - G . T h e pronounceable feature of this cipher was obtained by using vowels as substitutes for vowels, and consonants for consonants, letters of similar sound to those represented being used wherever possible.
Replace phonetic characters for these symbols, and the cipher, " Ort N u h u l Quu-palt , yemd du h i gupult . . . , " is transformed into that immortal and soul-stirring tragedy, " Old Mother Hubbard , went to the cupboard . . . , " which many of our readers probably recognized at once through similarity of rhythm and meter.
Some of the symbols in this example signify more than one sound in the phonetic alphabet. B u t these additional values have been so selected as to avoid confusion
or difficulty i n translation if due attention is paid to context. A t any rate, to M r . Walker goes the honor of being the first to submit to this department a cipher using a true phonetic alphabet.
Las t week's straight substitution Cipher N o . 146 conveyed the message: " C i rcumstances never made the man do right who didn't do right in spite of them." We intended that you should mistake the letter after the apostrophe for an S. D i d it fool you?
T u r n i n g to this week's layout, in N o . 149 you wi l l find a new straight substitution " c r y p t " by a newcomer to these pages. A n d in N o . 150 you have a system which M r . Napier found in an old magazine. W e ' l l tell you a l l about it next week.
T h e last cipher is another of M r . Walker 's phonetic ciphers, using the same alphabet as the preceding examples, but this time entirely in numbers. See what you can do with i t . T h e answers to al l of these ciphers, also to N o . 148 of last week, wi l l be published next week.
Reader ciphers are pouring in now at a l ively rate, which is very encouraging. F o r the greater the interest evinced in the department by the " customers," the more i n teresting is the department bound to be. Keep them coming, fans!
C I P H E R No. 149 (Miss Hannah C. Jones, Far Rockaway, New Y o r k ) .
S Z K O R Y X L A O U COA R A O Q C Y W M S U K R R A U U I K M C U N M Z Z J R E C U A O U . Z W A R O W U X A W T CVV A W B Z S C E M A A H A W Y V V N D Y Q L Q L A J .
C I P H E R No. ISO ( P . A . Napier, Louisvil le, K e n t u c k y ) .
I S I R S N K B P D G X K A M A Q B R K P M T Z Q H T N R D J F A Q Y A C H N E A M O E ISQ S D A O A O .
C I P H E R No. 151 ( M . Walker, Akron, Ohio). 22-8-16 26-10-17 14-1 1S-10-21-31 23-1 15-10-21-15-2-4-26-32 6-18-31 23-1 29-4-26-32 23-6-32 16-9-15-2-19 32-5-2-17 20-6-24 22-16-8-17 20-2-25 21-2-18-32-3-33 30-16-4-26-32 20-6-21 31-16-10-19-36 23-3-16 36-10-30 3 I 6 - 5 - I 2 - 1 8 - 3 I 8-16 32-H 29-1-22-9-16.
I n a recent issue we put the matter of solvers' lists up to the fans. " T o be or not , " that was the question. A n d to this query came the answer " y e s " i n no u n certain terms.
Accordingly y o u wi l l find below our first
640 F L Y N N ' S W E E K L Y D E T E C T I V E F I C T I O N
list of solvers to the weekly ciphers. T h i s list only includes Ciphers Nos. 51 to n o . Solutions to the first f i f ty , which, by actual count, numbered one hundred and thirty, are not given.
Ar thur Bel lamy leads, with a string as long as your arm. A n d John Q. Boyer comes next with answers to every " crypt " published since the inception of the weekly department. Other solvers are also well represented.
Arthur Bellamy, Boston, Massachusetts— S I , 56, 58 (biliteral)^ 59, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 68, 70, 72. 73, 74. 75. 77. 78. 80, 82, 83, 90, 92, 94, 98, 100, l o i , 102, 103, 104, 106, 107, 108, 109, n o -
J o h n Q. Boyer, Baltimore, Mary land—51, S3. 56. 59, 62, 65, 68, 74. 77. 80, 83, 86, 92. 95, 98, 101, 104, 107, n o .
H . L . Bellam, Reno, Nevada—51, 52, 74, 75. 95. 96. 101, 102, 104, 105, 106.
M . Walker, Akron, Ohio—59, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 80, 92, 95, 98.
P. A . Napier, Louisville, K e n t u c k y — 5 1 , 53. 54. 106.
Alfred N . Pray, L o s Angeles, C a l i f o r n i a — 82, 86, 88, 89.
Charles E . Roe, Hudson, Massachusetts— 6 1 , 62, 63, 64.
J . L l o y d Hood, Bastrop, Texas—62, 63, 86. Louis Bekasi, Bronx, New Y o r k — 8 3 , 84. J . Levine, Long Beach, California—59. G. W. Morlan, Hawardeen, I o w a — n o . Dr. Geo. P . Wood, Detroit, Michigan—106.
Look over this list for the solvers of your own ciphers. A n d send in your solutions for publication in future lists. For if this list is accorded a rousing welcome, and we're almost sure it wi l l be, we wi l l publish another one before long. L e t your name be in i t ! Most of these aren't nearly as hard as they seem.
IT ' S going to be a good spring, fu l l of excellent reading matter for readers of F L Y N N ' S W E E K L Y D E T E C T I V E F I C T I O N !
W e have novels for you by W y n d h a m M a r t y n , El izabeth Y o r k Mil ler , M a x w e l l Smith, Peter Perry , John Webb, Clement Wood, and others.
Mansfield Scott is preparing a series of novelettes featuring Dizzy Mc Arthur, whom you wi l l remember from " Defenders of the L a w . "
There w i l l be novelettes by Victor Maxwel l , Carrol l John D a l y , R o y Hinds , P a u l T a y l o r , John L . T iernan , and others.
A n d we can promise you a host of new writers, writers who have never yet appeared in print in this magazine, and writers who have never appeared in print anywhere.
Y o u won't want to miss a single issue of F L Y N N ' S W E E K L Y D E T E C T I V E F I C T I O N if you l ike good detective stories.
10 F W