Well, since a governmental office once established acquires qualities of perpetuity, three United States despatch agents have survived the development of modern communication, one in London, one in New York, and the third (I think) in San Francisco.

At any rate, the London agent remains.
Now in the beginning the London despatch agent was a mail messenger (as I understand) for the Embassy.

He still takes the pouch to the post office, and brings it back.

In ordinary times, that's all he does for the Embassy, for which his salary of about -- -- is paid by the State Department--too high a salary for the labour done, but none too high for the trustworthy qualities required.

If this had been all that Petherick did, he would probably have long ago gone to the scrap heap.