Why is semen useful to spies?

[ShadowRunner]

Semen has been used by spies as invisible ink.

[~[FGS]SaSQuATcH~]

I knew that you had some crazy metabolic end product going on with MI6

[~][FGS][Nobody~]

That was just more information than I looked for.

[ShadowRunner]

From the Telegraph newspaper...

A diary entry belonging to a senior member of the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) has revealed that during the First World War it was discovered that the bodily fluid could act as an effective invisible ink.
In June 1915, Walter Kirke, deputy head of military intelligence at GHQ France, wrote in his diary that Mansfield Cumming, the first chief (or C) of the SIS was "making enquiries for invisible inks at the London University".
In October he noted that he "heard from C that the best invisible ink is semen", which did not react to the main methods of detection. Furthermore it had the advantage of being readily available.
A member of staff close to "C", Frank Stagg, said that he would never forget his bosses' delight when the Deputy Chief Censor said one day that one of his staff had found out that "semen would not react to iodine vapour".
Stagg noted that "we thought we had solved a great problem".

However, the discovery also led to some further problems, with the agent who had identified the novel use having to be moved from his department after becoming the butt of jokes.
In addition, at least one agent had to be reminded to use only fresh supplies of the 'ink' when correspondents began noticing an unusual smell.
The revelations are included in 'MI6: The History of the Secret Intelligence Service 1909-1949' by Professor Keith Jeffery.
Prof Jeffery, of Queen's University, Belfast, was given access to all of MI6's files between those years. The book is published on Tuesday and is being serialised in The Times.

[~][FGS][Nobody~]

Awesone, that made my day!
I always wanted to have invisible ink on demand at any situation. Now the enlightenment has come!
I'm just wondering how far women were considered in that thoughts.

[Mastakilla]

Cummings

[ShadowRunner]

Masta, I am impressed: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mansfield_Smith-Cumming

Did you watch Zwartboek btw? Don't speak a word of Dutch, but I really enjoyed it.

Noodz that is a very good point, female agents have a problem.

[Mastakilla]

Don't be impressed, you mentioned his name in an earlier post.

And yes I seen that film, was kind of a big deal when it came out I remember... Just like pretty much any Dutch film coming out is seen as a big deal in The Netherlands

[synthetic]

"Could you be a good lad and give me a hand with this super-secret report"

[~Sanguine{DXA}Rose~]

You make me wanna make invisible ink baby <3

[Majestic]

Yeah, Zwartboek was okay. Bit like almost every Dutch film there is though: not too great a story, excessive violence and Carice van Houten goes naked.

[Mastakilla]

Yeah, Zwartboek was okay. Bit like almost every Dutch film there is though: not too great a story, excessive violence and Carice van Houten goes naked.

+1