REF ID:A522818 

USCIBs 14/58 

001'( 

20 Juiy 1949 

MEMORANDUM FOR MEMBERS OF USCIB: 

Subject a 

&lcloaure: 

Proposed Measures for Improving the Cipher 

seouri ty of western Union Communications. 

(A) USCIB SECCOM Special Report No. 1-49. 

(B) Chairman, LSIB Memarmdum dated 

JO June 1949, SB/S78. 

l. At the request of the Chairman, USCIB, the 

memorandum from the Cbairman,. I.SIB, "Western Union OrganizaU.on, Seour11'1 or Connunioatlons" (Enclosure (B)) was 

referred t.o the Security Connittee tor study. b 

recommendations of that Comni.ttee w1 th respect to the LSIB 

propoals are forwarded hennd. th as SECCOM Special Report 

No. 7-49 (lnclosu.re (A)). 'lhis "J)Ort. will be coruWiered 

un:ler Item 2 or the agenda for the Fort¥-t.hird meeting of 

the Boa.rd, 

USCIB I 14/'8 

/a/P. J. Karl 

tor H. D. JONES 

P, J. KARL 

5eeretar1at, USCIB. 

Declassified and approved for release by NSA on 06-11-2014 pursuant to E .0. 1352a 
REF ID:A522818 

TOP. milt 

USCIB SECURITI COMMITTEE 

§Pldllt REP<itf to. 7:®. 

(fO uscfe diriOt) 

20 July 19!0 

REPORT ON PROPOSBD MEASURES FCE IMPROVING '!HE CIPHm 

• • §§5Clktff mi tMMRN muow COMMtmt cm ms 

THE PRJBLIM 

l. To study the memorandum of JO June from the Chairman, LSI.13 1 to 

the Chainnan, USCIB, arr:l to make reoanmetdat.1ons thereon to USCIB. 

FACTS BEARING ON 'l'HE P~BL!M 

2. USCIB1 W51 of lB July 1949 conveys this problem to the 

Oormrd.ttee. 

COHCLUSIOHS AND RBOOMKiJIDATIOltlS 

J. The Colllld.t.t. preaenta the enal.oaad draft. o! a •morandum from 

the Qudr-.n, USCIB, to the Cbaii..n, LSIB, and reoc>.111'1l81Xa that thia 

JIM80rand um be tranai t ted in reply to I.SIB'• memo:nuxiUlft ot JO June. All 

pertinent. consl.derations and arguments, as the Comitt.ee developed th• 

dur.1.ng its stud7 of the pn>blem, are set forth or implied in this dratt. 

COORDINATXClf 

4. No cooroination ot this matter with other Committees or 

authoritid has been deemed necessar,r. 

Bnclo8Ul'91 Propoeed mBJllOrand\1111 tor the 

Chairman, I.SIB, tran the 

Chairman, USCIB. 

SBOCOM draft, 19 July 1949. 

SICCOM It.I lo. 54 _ Jll SICRff 

/s/E.S.L. GOODWIN 

E.s.L. GOODWIN 

Captain, u. s. Navy 

Chairllan1 SECCOM. 
REF ID:A522818 

IQeSHlf1. 

Maaorandum for!!.!. ChairmanJ ~· 

SECCOM ~t 19 JUiy 9 

Subjeatc Cipher seourit,y for Western Union communications. 

Ret91"8'lcea Memorandum ot 30 June 1949 from the Chairman, 

LSIB, to the Qudrnan1 USCIB, With enclosure 

(memorandum "111 hereinafter be, referred to as 

"the Chainnan•s JEmorandUll" am enclosure as 

•the Chairman• s enclosure".) 

l. The rete:reme has been read w1 th interest. It 

obvio\llly represents the cl:hwx of a most involved am difficult study, a.Ill the solution whioh it preaenta is patently a 

compl'Olli.8• among violently antagonistic Viewpoj.nta. 

2. USCIB1 acting "1thin the l1mits of i ta charter, 

must be govez-Md in this principally by considerations of the 

at'tects of the alternatives on u.s. Co1rmunioations Intell.igence. 

F~m this narrow standpoint, ~ basia 1mprovemint of Western 

Union collll\UnicatJ.on security VIll be detrimenta.J.1 either through 

direct loBS ot intelligence (consider paragraph 3 ot the Chairman• s memorandum and pouible llliecarriagee ot the Ellt.i..1'9 LSIB 

proJ>08al) or through indirect loea or intelligence through 

resultant general European improYeuaent in commwli.i::ation-eeaurit7 

oonaoiouanaas am knowledge. In this latter connection USCIB 

not.ea that any- improYeJaent of the oipher aecur1 ty of western 

Union natl.onas may avent.ual.17 involve an extension to that ot 

Atlantic Pact. na'U.cna. USCIB, theref'on1 11hile fully concurring 

in the aegument.a presented in paragraph 7 ot the Chairman•• 

mmorandum, am while reoogn1zing the po11sibil1t;r that consideratlona ot seem v uy ov81"1'1.de those or intel.ligmoe, is constrained to expreas onl)" qualified approval. or the proposed 

coune ot action, subject to certain rese"a tiona, hereinafter 

preeent.i. 

3. USCIS oonsiden that the propoeal of the reference 

1• OOllpl.e1iely acceptable a~ a basia tor plarming tor the si tuatlon oonteplated in paragraph.a 6 w 7 of the Cha.1rmn' a 

malowre (that 1a1 the situation attend.ant upon a state of war 

or aondiU.oaa appl"O&ching a atate ot wu). USCI.81 harner, 

conaidere that there ahould be no iJmed.iate implement& t.1on ot 

lncloaure with USCIB SECCOM Special Report No. 1-49. 
REF ID:A522818 

SECCOM dntt 

19JUJi19$ 

Cipher aaour.L t\Y" tor Western Union cOlllQU111c a tiona. 

-. ------- ~ ~ ~ - ~ ~ ~ . ---- ~ -------- - - - - the plan except such minimum measures as may be necessaey- to 

pez'lld.t LSIB to insure t.ha adoption ot its proposal, the maximum 

such, tram the USCIB stampo1nt, being as follws• 

(a) Preeent the Typeic Mark II to t.he Western Union 

nations as the proposed combined cipher machine 

for tu ture emergency. 

(b) Do not daliver copies o! the Typex Marie II to a~ 

other na~on, but intorm the Western Union nations 

that T)'P8X Mark II w.Ul be danonstrated, in London, 

to any cr;yptanal1sta and cryptographers "1oro they 

choose to aend. to Lomon for a thorough and unlimited study of the machine, the proposed method 

ot its use, and the detail• of its routine operation. 

( c) Clontingept on the other w.u. nations• acceptance of the proposal, acaumulate1 in u • .K., the rese"8 

ot machine•, inet.Not.4.on•, am key l15ta required 

for the condition cont.plated in paragraphs 6 am 

7 of the Chainnan's encloaure, arxi give to appro .. 

priate representaU.ves of the w.u. nations full 

knowledge or and ac~a to this accumulation. 

4. In preMnting tba foregoing, USCIB recognizes that 

the ooune of act.ion which it :r-eaomwande taile to t.ake acoount 

et the requ:t.remen\a exprea•ed in paragraph l of the Chairnan•a 

...-andwn and the ti.rat sen t.ence ot paragraph 8 of the Cha1.rma• s mcloeve (that is, the i~ate need tor cipher aeou.ritvr 

_ tor tba rapid exahange ot w.u. col'lllluDicatione among the w.u. 

oapltala and high c~). USCIB reccmnenda, therefore, that 

thie requilW8nt be met 'by the proposal or super-encipherment 

preaented intonaally h1' signal by the Senior Br! ti sh Liaison 

ottioer •• a Nault of his membership in an ad boo conaittee of 

USCIB wh!ch met on 26 August'"194B. This proposal, for official 

reooJ'Cl, is reiterated belowa 

That the u.s. and G!"est Britain agree upon aDd 

provide a common system for the super-encipher• 

•nt or all meesages of a critical. natureJ that 

the use of this sys tam be confined to common 

JIP IRlff 
REF ID:A522818 

TIP 1£CIO SECCCl-1 draft 

19 Jury 1§49 

Subjects Cipher seour.1. tor for Western Union communications~ 

--. --- ~ -~ - ~ -- ~ -- ~ ~ - ~ -- ~ ~ -- ~ -- ~ -- cr;yptocenters at cri ti.cal locations, the 

cE11te:rs to be manned by personnel ot any 

Western Union nationBJ that agreement of the 

Western Union nations be obtained to pass 

or! tic al inf om.a tion only between points 

served by these cryptocentersJ that all 

powers reserve the right to cryptograJil such . 

message1 1n their own 318 teme prior to deli wiry 

to the common cryptocanter. : 

That the coumon means of super-enciphermant 

preferably consist of a one-time tape systan 

capable ot the mnst rapid handling of trattia. 

S. USCIB recognizes,. .further- that its present reoommendat.ions do not meet the needs implied in paragft!]h 4, the 

naond aentenoe ot pa.ra,gra.pll 8, am. the seoom point in paragraph 

10 of the Chairman's enclosUl"O, but is constrained to state that 

theae aonaiderat1ona are beyond its cognizance. USCIB hopes, 

howner, that the proposals daacribed in paragraph .3 of the 

Chaizmn • s memorandum ( ·.mioh would tan! to be more detrimantal 

to UBCIB• a narr011 interests than any ot the more likely develop.. 

.-nte bt»a LSIB•a proposal) oan be torestalled by actlon which 

v1l1 be in accord both w1 th L.SIB' s proposals and ite own demurs, 

am NqUa•te that it be kept informed or pertinent developments. 

Chill'Un usetB 

l8P SECRET 

--