~~611. 

APPENDED DOCOME1.17T~ O(}M'f'AlN 

USCIB: 29.1/15 

l9 January 1954 

'%'OP SEi9~ = l::J. S. !ff.ES ONLY 

MEMORAND'CJ!.1 FOR THE MEMBERS OF USCIB: 

Subject: 

References: 

Improvement of French Communications Security for the 

Berlin Conference. 

(a) USCIB 29.1/11 (Minutes of 98th Meeting). 

(b) USCIB 29 .1/14 (Minutes of 99th Meeting). 

(c) USCIB 29.1/12 of 12 January 1954. 

1. Reference (a) quotes a reply by USCIB (CIB 00010) to the LSIB 

message distributed as an enclosure with USCIB 29.1/10. This reply 

informed LSIB, inter alia, that USCIB was studying further the above 

subject and would advise if any action were contemplated. Reference (b) 

informed U.K. authorities that USCIB had agreed not to take action in 

this regard. 

2. On 13 January 1954, enclosure 1 herewith wa.s received by the 

Director, NSA, from Director, GCHQ, asking that the matter of assistance 

to the French be considered fron1 the COY.SEC angle. 

3. The Director, NSA, referred this matter to the Executive 

Secretary for appropriate action as a matter still under the cognizance 

of USCIB. At the same time the Director, NSA, commented to the effect 

that the solution proposed by the Ad Hoc Committee (included with the 

enclosure to reference (c)) is technica1ly feasible and would be 

acceptable to him. He added, however, Ghat if for other reasons than 

technical feasibility, the Chairman and the State DepartMent member felt 

it undesirable to accede to the new U.K. request contained in enclosure l~ 

he, the Director, National Security Agency, would be quite ready to defer 

to their views in this matter. 

4. Accordingly, the EKecutive Secretary met with the Chairman and 

the Department of State member at 1500, Friday, 15 January 1954, to 

consider what action should be taken in reply. The Chairman reviewed, 

in the light of enclosure 1, the decision rendered by USCIB at its 99th 

Meeting and was unable to discover any new factors requiring consideration by the Board. The Department of State member informed the Chairman 

and the Executive Secretary that nothing new had occurred to change the 

view presented by STATE at the 99th Meeting of the Board and that 

enclosure 1 presented nothing additional to alter that view. It was noted 

that the U.K. Liaison Officer had verbal]J requested the EKecutive 

Secretary to provide any reasons we might have for giving a negative 

answer. It was agreed by the Chairman and the Department of State member 

USCIB: 29.1/15 APPENDED DOCOMENtS CUNtA!N 

Declassified and approved for release by NSA on 04-18-2014 pursuant to E. 0. 1352B 

'l'OP BEGRE'F 

20 
• 

USCIB: 29.1/15 

'fOP SEi0Rfi = l:J. S • EYEiS ONI:rY 

Af'PHJBEiB BOOt::JMffiN'f S eeN'l'Afif 

OOBIORB M:A!:Hlfl:IAL 

19 January 1954 

Subject: Improvement of French Communications Security for the 

Berlin Conference. · 

that, in the absence of serious objection from the NSA member, the 

Executive Secretary should be instructed to give the U.K. Liaison 

Officer a reply along the lines set forth in enclosure 2 without further 

reference to the Board inasmuch as no change in the Board's previous · position is involved. 

5. As a result of the foregoing, a reply (see enclosure 2) was 

forwarded, on 19 January 1954, to the Senior U.K. Liaison Officer. It 

is considered that this reply may have the effect of closing the issue 

of providing cryptographic assistance to the French for the coming 

Berlin Conference. 

Enclosures 

ptain, U. S. Navy 

EX:ecutive Secretary, USCIB 

1. Copy of GCHQ msg DTG 131805Z/l/54. 

2. Copy of CIB #00020 dtd 19 Jan 1954. 

USCIB: 2J1.1/15 - 2 -

'f'OP BECKE 'f' 

JrPl'l!'.NDED DOotlM!'MTS OO'MT11:!N COQ~WORB M:irf'.l!:JUAL 
REF ID:A611BB 

TOP SECflET FROTI I 

BRITISH JOINT SERVICES MISSION 

MA.IN NAVY BUILDING 

WASHINGTON 25, D. C. 

'i'OP SBemffi:' PftO'fH PL 86-36/50 USC 3605 

Co:py of sigp~l from Mr ..... I ___ ___.Ito Brigadier Tiltman. 

From: G.C.H .Q. DTG: 131805Z/l/54. 

To: S.L.O., Washington. 

TIL'IMAN from DIRECTOR. 

Offer to Germans has been made and we await their reaction. 

In meantime Cypher Policy Board have fonnally expressed their 

grave concern over French insecurity with special reference 

to Berlin Conference. Their concern is shared by Foreign 

Office. We had hoped from tone of your 052115 that U.S. 

would take action in regard to French Com.sec at Berlin. 

GCHQ have no comments from Sigint angle. Penney has asked 

that you pursue matter with Canine urging importance !ran 

Comsec as opposed to Comint point of view. 

Enclosure 1 with USCIB 29.1/15 dtd 19 Jan 1954. 

TOP SECRET FROTl-i 
,. 

CIB # 00020 

19 January 1954 

MEMORANDUM FOR THE SENIOR U.K. LIAIS(Ji OFFICER: 

Subject: Improvement or French Communications Security 

ror the Berlin Conference. 

1. GCHQ DTG l.31805Z of January 1954 was referred to me by the . Director, National Security Agency for action owing to the fact 

that the subject ID&tter of thfl proposal contained therein is still 

under the cognizance of USCIB. 

2. The Chairman ot the Board has instructed me to inform you that (a) we are unable to discern any questions of u.s./U.K. 

cryptographic security that might be involved in the insecurity or 

French cammmications for the Berlin Conference, (b) the Board is · of the opinion that a short range solution to improve the security 

of the conf'erence link itself is not likely to "Pe.effective owing 

to the risk of the same information being revealed in lateral· · French cammmications, and (c) a solution to :F'rench Communication 

Security problems for the Berlin Conference to be effective would 

probably involve questions already under consideration in implementation of the long range plan decided at the June Confei·ence. 

It is felt that the long range plan is 130 important that we should 

do nothing that would require reconsideration of it at this advanced 

stage in our planning. 

3. It is hoped that we can soon complete the plan submitted 

through the Combined Working Group so as to be able to initiate 

with the French at an early date technical talks for a long range 

solution. 

Copy to: DIRNSA 

(Signed) 

RUFUS L. TAILOR 

Captain, u. s. Navy 

Executive Secretary, USCIB 

Enclosure 2 with USCIB 29.1/15 dtd 19 Jan 1954. 

TOP BECltET