▁until ▁ 1 9 0 6 ▁when ▁he ▁became ▁a ▁soldier . ▁He ▁was ▁initially ▁assigned ▁to ▁the ▁Infantry , ▁then ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 2 ▁he ▁was ▁transferred ▁to ▁Sign al ▁Corps ▁( N ach richt en ▁Te leg raf en ▁B ata illon ) ▁in ▁Frankfurt ▁( O der ). ▁ ▁Military ▁He ▁served ▁with ▁the ▁German ▁Army ▁of ▁World ▁War ▁I ▁as ▁a ▁signal ▁officer ▁with ▁the ▁tro op . ▁Sel ch ow ▁stated ▁that ▁even ▁in ▁the ▁midst ▁of ▁World ▁War ▁I , ▁he ▁pointed ▁out ▁to ▁the ▁Chief ▁Sign al ▁Office ▁that ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁work ▁being ▁done ▁in ▁the ▁German ▁Army ▁Sign al ▁Corps ▁belonged ▁properly ▁to ▁the ▁German ▁Ministry ▁of ▁Foreign ▁Affairs ▁because ▁of ▁its ▁diplom atic ▁nature . ▁The ▁Chief ▁Sign al ▁Officer ▁did ▁not ▁agree ▁with ▁this ▁statement ▁and ▁during ▁World ▁War ▁I ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁work ▁done ▁by ▁the ▁Army ▁was ▁diplom atic ▁in ▁nature . ▁Direct ly ▁after ▁the ▁war , ▁Sel ch ow ▁entered ▁the ▁Ministry ▁of ▁Foreign ▁Affairs , ▁where ▁he ▁organized ▁the ▁ci pher ▁b ureau . ▁He ▁brought ▁with ▁him ▁several ▁soldiers ▁who ▁had ▁been ▁with ▁him ▁during ▁World ▁War ▁I . ▁These ▁were ▁Sch auff ler , ▁Pas ch ke , ▁Z ast row , ▁Brand es , ▁Hoff man ▁and ▁Kun ze . ▁He ▁is ▁listed ▁as ▁a ▁Princi pal ▁Foreign ▁Office ▁Special ist ▁( V ort rag ender ▁Leg ations rat ) ▁on ▁ 1 ▁November ▁ 1 9 3 5 , ▁with ▁the