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NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY 

WASHINGTON 25, D. C. 

Professor Stewart s. Cairns 

Head, Department of Mathematics 

University ot Illinois 

Urbana, Illinois 

Dear Professor Cairns: 

Serial: rJ lD :l.. 0 

?-1.;.>s~~~ 

I have carefull.7 read the minutes of the two-clq conference 

held on ll and 12 Jttne 19$'3 by the National Securl ty Agency Scientific Advisar)"Board and am grateful to the members ot the Board. 

tor devoting time and i;hought to a consideration of some of the 

.Ageno;r• a problems. · 

In the minutes of the morning meeting of 11 June I note thJa.t 

the Boa.rd raised the question ot whether I might consider it desirable to request the Board to inaugurate a atud.ytof the problem of 

evaluating the contribution which COMJ:NT can or oould make to the 

warning of an impending attack on the United States .• 7 

M3' purpose in writing you now is to indicate not onlJ' that I 

would very much like to have the Board undertake such a study' but 

also that I hope it could be initiated at once and will be glad 

to place immedia~ at the disposal of the Board whatever facilities, personnel and records the Board deems necessary or usef'ul 

£or conducting the study al'1d for producing the final report thereon 

as soon as practicable. 

I note also that Professor Robertson i'ndicated that he could 

spend about a month during the summer on the st~, and that other 

members indicated they could spend some time when or if' the stu<tr 

touched on their individual fields. In this. connectl.on I wish 

first of all to ask that you convey to these members of the Board 

my thanks for volunteering their services. :t think that they are 

admirabl7 qualified to undertake a study or the sort contemplated. 

Moreover, Professor Robertson•s first-hand experience as former 

Director of the Research for the Weapons System Evaluation Group of the Department ot Defense should be of special assistance in 

the study; if agreeable to you I

1 

would be ver:r pleased if you 

would ask him to serve as the Chdrman of the Study' Committee. 

I note further that the Board feels that the numerous COONT 

reports and studies already in .ex:lstenue would be useful in mald.ng 

the present study and that a considerable part of the prob1em 

CQNFIDENTIAL 

eclassifi ed and a 
REF ID:A66962 

-GQt&F•BafflM:" 

in:volved would be to coordinate and summarize those reports and 

studies. I have accordingly authorized Mr. Friedman to assemble for 

the Special Study Committee all the Agency's reports and studies 

which we think might be useful to the Committee. In order to conserve the Committee's time this material can be briefed and summaries 

prepared for the Committee's examination by mid-July. 

Since the intelligence agencies, as the most important consumers 

o:r the COMINT product; would naturally be vitally interested in an;,v 

study of the type now contemplated and could render valuable technical assistance therein, I would be glad to request, on behalf of 

the Committee, the temporary assigrnnent to the Connnittee of technical 

assistants from each of the consumer agencies and departments, or 

£rom other agencies ot the Department or Defense that might be able 

to render assistance and advice. 

While I naturally do not want to volunteer BI11' guidance to the 

Board as to how the study can best be conducted,, I do think it might 

be useful if Professor Robertson, assuming"he accepts the chairmanship of the Committee, could come to Washington soon, tor the purpose 

or organizing the study project and determining its broad outlines. 

I 1f0uld like you to telephone him without delay to ask him to do sq,, 

it you have no objection, and to let me knmi' his decision. Travel 

orders can be issued and, 0£ course, the members or the Committee 

would receive the usual fee £or consultant's services while engaged 

in this project. 

Copies furnished: 

Members of NSASAB .... 

66: AG 

C/S 

S/~SST 

R/D - Dr. Leibler 

Sincerel:j", 

RALPH J. CANINE 

Lieutenant General, US Amr:! 

ntrector 

letter thanks 

M/R: This/the Chairman and members of NSASAB 

Vho participated in the 11-12 June Conference. 

The Director indicates that he would like the 

Board to undertake a study of the problElll o.I 

eva1ua. ting the contribution which COMINT can 

or could make to warn the US of an impending attack (the Board suggested 

this study be ma.de), and that Prof'. Robertson be invited to serve as 

Chairman of the Stucy Committee. The Director requests that Pro!. Robertson 

come iio Wash. as soon as possible~ if he accepts the chairmanship. to r··~•· 1nr;11:r " organize and determine the brbaa• uli.LimM !o:f.' the stuey-. 

W.F.Friedma.n/S/Asst/60493/25 June S3/eb:f 
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