Despatch Sending Without Suspicion
One day, while the peace negotiations were in progress, the representative from Hanover asked Bismarck how he managed to get his despatches through the mails unopened. Bismarck, for answer, asked him to take a walk with him. He took him to the poor district of Frankfort, to a narrow street where only small stores were to be found. Arrived before a little grocery, Bismarck, to his companion’s surprise, put on gloves and then entered the store. His first question to the clerk was: “Do you keep soap?”
“Yes sir.”
“What kinds?”
The clerk put several kinds before Bismarck, from which the latter selected a particularly strong-smelling piece, and put it in his pocket. Then he asked for envelopes and was shown some of the very cheapest kind. Now Bismarck took a despatch from his inside coat-pocket, put it into one of the envelopes, fastened it, and asked for pen and ink and began to write the address. But of course with gloves he could not do it, so he asked the clerk to do it for him. Then he put the envelope with the despatch into the same pocket with the soap. When they were on the street again Bismarck said to his companion: “Now, I defy them to smell my despatch under a perfume composed of soap, herring, and cheese, and an address written in such a hand.”