A message enciphered in the first stage would look like this. (After a change from words to numerals, indicated by the symbol "signal," the numerals are each repeated three times.)
These figures are then split up into five-figure groups, the third and antepenultimate groups being left blank to take "recognition groups." At this stage the message begins to look like a ciphered message, but is still by no means secure and would present no difficulties to a cryptographer. Here it is with the blanks left for the recognition groups and the last group made up with noughts to complete a five-figure group.
At this point the first stage of encipherment is complete. It is now necessary to "close" the message by re-enciphering it against the selected portion of the "code book." In practice, I used a Swiss book of trade statistics, but not having that by me now, I think it might be appropriate to take a passage at random from the report of the Royal Commission on the Canadian spy case.
On page 77, line 14, is the following phrase: "that even if the adherent or member should refuse to engage in activities so clearly illegal and which constitute so clear a betrayal of his or her country."
The enciphering phrase can be taken from anywhere in the book, starting at any word in any line. In this case it starts at the fourth word of the line, i.e., "that."
From here on the key phrase is enciphered in exactly the same way as was the original message, and written out in five-figure groups, leaving here also the third and antepenultimate groups blank, as below:
These groups are then added to the groups of the original ciphered message, the tens being ignored, and the final result is this: