Read the excerpt from “Tools of the Spymaster."

General Clinton, concerned about what General Howe was planning and doing, made use of a mask to write a secret message in a letter to General Burgoyne.

Before writing the letter, Clinton had placed an hourglass-shaped mask on a piece of paper and then had formed the secret message within that shape.

The unmasked letter had enough false information in it to fool any American who happened to see it. But when Burgoyne viewed the letter with the mask, he read Clinton's view of the real situation: Howe has made a bad move; I don't have enough men to do anything about it.

Which statement contains explicit information from the text?

General Howe was a complete failure during the war.
General Burgoyne was a better officer than General Howe.
General Clinton sent a letter to General Burgoyne by messenger.
General Clinton used a mask to write a secret message.

General Clinton used a mask to write a secret message.

The statement that contains explicit information from the text is: "General Clinton used a mask to write a secret message."

The statement that contains explicit information from the text is: "General Clinton used a mask to write a secret message." This statement directly mentions the use of a mask by General Clinton to write a secret message in the letter to General Burgoyne.