Excerpts of Telegraphic Communications I – Spring 1907
[Winesap commentary c2006: “Despite its fragmentary and incomplete nature, this material is nevertheless revealing of several technological factors which are exceptionally salient to fully understanding the events of late 1906 – early 1907: First, that despite the alleged ‘backwardness’ (the Tsarist locution) of Bassandan technology and materiél, Resistance forces displayed a high degree of sophistication and flexibility in maintaining essential communications which resisted interception, including some mobile technology considerably more advanced than anything possessed by the Russians. Second, clandestine operations were carried out strategically throughout the nation, including in the capital city Ballyizget, under the noses of Tsarist spies and embassy staff. Third, though the language of these communications is ‘telegraphese’—that is, brief and uncolored by modifiers—a palpable sense of urgency emerges: it is clear that the Resistance leadership understood they were working against time, fully cognizant that, with the spring thaw to be expected in late April or May 1907, the Tsarist invasion of Bassanda would be renewed and accelerated. Fourth, the code word CONY is in fact a reference to Cécile Lapin, who, though unwitting, was already a target of Tsarist agents…”]
BALLYIZGET NATIONAL POSTAL SERVICE (CLANDESTINE) (BNPS/C) TO
BASSANDA EMBASSY LONDON (EMBASS-L):
BOOK CLUB CONFIRMS THEMATIC FOCUS OF 1906-07 READING SEASON STOP CODE WORD CONY CONFIRMED STOP STRONGLY REPEAT STRONGLY ENCOURAGE CLOSE THEMATIC ATTENTION FROM ALL PRINCIPALS RE CONY ENDIT
EMBASS-L TO TORRES C/O PARIS POSTE RESTANTE 16TH ARRONDISSEMENT:
BNPS/C CONFIRMS URGENT REQUEST YOU ATTEND UPON CONY SEASONAL THEME STOP EXPERT CLOSE READINGS REQUIRED STOP CONFIRM RECEIPT BY RETURN CABLE ENDIT
TORRES TO EMBASS-L:
CONFIRM EASTERN CORPORATION’S INTEREST IN CONY STORY-LINE STOP REGRET REPORT LIQUIDATION OF CONY PERSONAL ASSET COMMA ALLIES UNABLE PREVENT STOP DETAILS FOLLOW ENDIT