ATTENTION, fans! Here is the patiently awaited solution to cipher No. 47 of the July 23 issue.
As you may remember, this cipher was published with the statement that its solution would not appear in this department unless supplied by our readers themselves. We really expected some answers. And that our hopes were realized is demonstrated by the fact that these lines are being written.
As explained in the above mentioned issue, this cipher employed an alphabet of twenty-five numbers—I-J using the same symbol—five letters having one-figure substitutes, and the remaining twenty having two-figure substitutes. Spaces between substitutes were disregarded in enciphering, the cryptogram being transcribed in groups of five figures each.
With the key it would be an easy matter to regroup the figures and translate the resultant numbers. But without the key it becomes necessary to find which figures are used alone or as umt figures in the two-digit symbols, and which are used only as tens figures.
The fans were quick to discover several methods of doing this. Probably the most important of these is based on the simple rule that any digit preceded and followed by more than five different figures must be one of the unit figures.
The accompanying table shows the prefixes and suffixes of all nine digits in the present cipher. For example, 4 is preceded by 1, 2, and 3, and followed by 2, 6, 7, and 8; making six different figures in all. It must therefore be one of the unit figures. By the same token, 3, 7, and 8 are also units.
3-7-8 1 3-4-5-7
3-4-5-7-8 2 3-4-3
1-2-3-6-8-9 3* 1-2-3-4-6-7-8-9
1-2-3 4* 2-6-7-8
1-2-8-9 5 2-6-8-9
3-4-3-7-8 6 3-7-8
1-3-6-7-9 7* 1-2-6-7-9
3-4-5-6 8* 1-2-3-5-6
3-5-7-8 9 3-5-7
Another easy rule to apply is that all doubled figures—as 33 and 77 in this case—must be unit figures. It is also evident that the last figure in the cryptogram must be one of the "units." Accordingly 5, which ended this cipher, can be placed in the same class with 3, 4, 7, and 8, already singled out by the above methods.
Now, if 3, 4, 5, 7, and 8 are the unit figures, the remaining digits, 1, 2, 6, and 9, must be the tens. This known, it is easy to regroup the cipher in symbols of one and two figures, and to solve by straight substitution methods.
13-8-5-68-67-67-7-07-67-93-13-8-14-68-93- 93-97-93-8-24-14-68-23-23-07-67-63-8-3-97- 17-97-67-97-13-8-67-14-8-15-93-4-68-13-3- 7-23-63-93-23-68-13-95-23-63-07-25-8-3-97- 67-93-8-24-23-63-97-14-7-13-95.
Thus, the predominance of 97, occurring nine times, suggests that it might be E. In which case, the repeated 23-63-97, ending in this assumed E, is probably THE. Determining other letters and words in a similar manner, the translation, given below, is soon reached. The alphabet— formed upon the key word CITADEL after the method in the July 23 issue—and a short example of the encipherment are also appended.
C B O W I
2 K P X T G
6 Q Y A U R
9 Z P K S E
1 M U L N V
4 5 8 3 7
Message: N O B A R R I E R S ...
Substitutes: 13-8-5-68-67-67-7-97-67-93 ...
Grouped: 13856 86767 79767 93 ...
"No barriers, no masses of matter, however enormous, can withstand the powers of the mind."
Methods for solving No. 47 were submitted by the following readers: Ken Davidson, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; H. L. Bellam, Reno, Nevada; J. Levine, Long Beach, California; and Arthur Bellamy, Boston, Massachusetts. The several solutions agreed on all the main points, and the procedure given above embodies the best ideas from all four. For another cipher of this type, but in a different key, turn to Cipher No. 93, in this issue.
The key to No. 85 (Ken Davidson), of the October 22 issue, was 11-3, conveyed by the signature " KEN," a 3-letter word, the initial letter of which is the 11th in the alphabet. To decipher the communication, merely transcribe it in lines of 11 words each—counting the dash at the beginning as a word—forming eleven columns. Then take every 3rd column downward, disregarding the other columns, and get the message: "The man who succeeds in deciphering this must have made good use of his ability. " It is easy enough when you get started.
Last week's No. 89 (Earnest Brewster) was merely a continuously written straight substitution cipher, using the subjoined simple numerical alphabet based on the key word HARLEQUIN, and conveying the following message. This one should have fallen an easy victim! Did you send Earnest your solution?
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 H A R L E Q U I N B C D F 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 G J K M O P S T V W X Y Z
Message: Diamond salesman with samples valued at fifty thousand will leave on the noon train to-morrow. Meet me at the station.
This week's cryptograms are arranged approximately in the order of their difficulty. No. 92, the easiest of the lot, is the usual normally spaced, straight substitution type, each cipher letter fixedly signifying one message letter and no other. You should get around this in short order.
No. 93, after you have applied the method given above, should occasion you but little more trouble than No. 92. And that only because it will be a continuously written cryptogram instead of a normally spaced one. You won't find this hard if you try. But try !
Finally, sink your tooth into No. 94. This one is a combination substitute-transposition affair, and is a little more complicated. But friend Walker has so simplified both processes that we dare not give you a hint or we would give away the whole business. With the key you can read this at sight. What can you do without the key?
CIPHER No. 92 (R. B. Robinson, Jr., Los Angeles, Calif.).
NF SJBG QPFRGJL JQ XBGWBDCQ. CJOF QCF IVLR SFJGL JWG RCWQ QV ZBYY. HJSQFS, HCBFE.
CIPHER No. 93.
6587 1 85673 23963 3789 1 98937 69318 15693 23312 3932 1 23796 38737 21418 73732 35623 7216s 8713s
CIPHER No. 94 (M. Walker, Akron, Ohio).
FTJFH OJIET ZBBTF SFEFU NSOJE FIUOF NVFCP SIGTJ PNUOT ISBXF UJUIF lUFPI IVTBB UQQJP UOEFJ ICTVP EOUTB IIUDF OBPOQ UTBAT
Next week: answers to Nos. 92, 93, and 94 in this issue; the method of solving No. 88 of two weeks ago; and some hints for No. 91, last week's "Aloha Oe," the Hawaiian song cipher.
Don't forget, fans, to include explanations with ciphers submitted for publication.