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DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY 

OFFICE OF THE JUDGE ADVOCATE GENERAL. 

WASHINGTON 25 D C. 

81AU6. 

JAGP 

SUBJECT Proposed Bill for the Relief of L.r \h.Lll.a.m F Friedman and 

Po e~tial Cla:un - Cryptographic Inventions 

TO Director, Armed Forces Security Agency 

Washington 25, D C 

Referring to letter from this 01f1ce da~ed 29 August 1951 

subJect as above, there are enclosed here7iJ.th for your information 

copies of letters datea 27 August 19511rom -X Friedman's attorney, 

Mr Henr.> G Fischer, and of the response of this office thereto of 

even date herewith 

FOli THE J JroE .d.DVOO l\.TE CE:lEP.AL 

2 Incl 

1 Copy ltr 27 Aug 51 

Lieutenant Colonel, JA'J:J 

Chief, Patents Division 

2 Copy ltr even date to l..r Fischer 

@'pp roved for Release by NSA on 08-29-2013 pursuantto E .0. 1352a 

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FISCHER, WILLIS AND PANZER 

Willard J Hodges, Jr 

Lieutenant Colonel, JAGO 

Chief, Patents Division 

Department of the .Army 

The Pentagon 

Washington, D C 

Dear Colonel Hodges 

Washington 6, D C 

August 27, 1951 

Re Proposed Bill for the relief of 

Yr William F Friedman 

Thank you for your letter of August 9, 1951 concerning the proposed 

bill for the relief of Mr William F Friedman In that letter you recite 

the course of our previous correspondence and conferences over the period 

of the last year and a half designed on our part to present the matter to 

the Department of Defense in full and to invite an expression of the Department as to w~ether it had any obJection to the introduction of the bill to 

the Congress for consideration on its merits As you know, we took this 

time and made this effort becawre the matter involved, in our view, important 

questions affecting the national interests At the request of the Department, we sub:nu.tted all the information available to us on the matter and we 

have no doubt that your letter is based upon full consideration of that inf ormation and all the information which is solely under the control of the 

Department As we understand the substance of your letter, the Department 

does not desire to express its views on any phase of the proposed bill to us 

but will undertake to present a report based upon a full and complete consideration of all the facts and circumstances of that upon call from the 

interested coilllill.ttees of Congress when the bill is introduced 

We would like to take the opportunity here to correct an apparent misunderstanding as to the basis of the relief we seek In your letter you 

state it as you:r impression that 11:tlr Friedman's request for compensation 

as covered by the proposed bill is preQicated upon the alleged damages 

suffered with respect to such rights as he may still have in the 

inventions in question, as a result of the placement of the inventions under 

secrecy restrictions" 

As a matter of fact, it is not Mr Friedman's rights which are the 

primary basis of the request for relief, it is the equitable considerations 

in bis case (set out in our memorandum of August 21, 1950) on much the 

request is principally founded As we said on pages 8 - 10 of that memorandum, we do believe that llr Friedman has such legal rights, but a monetary 

sum determined in accordance with any legal measure of damages could reach a 

magnitude far beyond the range and purpose of the relief we seek Instead, 

as we pointed out, the figure of $100,000 will be subllll.tted to the Congress 

as a sum Mr Friedman can reasonably request in the 1.J.ght of the equitable 

considerations here involved 

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REF ID:A70456 

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Colonel Willard J hodges, Jr - August 27, 1951 

The equitable considerations involved in this case are fully set out 

in the memorandum It is enough to restate here that Mr Friedman devoted 

a lifetime to work which culmJ.na.ted in discoveries and inventions of incalculable value in the national interests Tb.is work involved such responsibility, stress and secrecy, that it has unfavorably affected his health, his 

personal life and his opportunities to engage elsewhere in his profession and 

has made his livelihood increasingly precarious These and other equitable 

considerations spelled out in the memorandum form the fundamental basis of 

the request wb.J..ch will be made to the Congress for 1tr Friedman 1 s relief 

We hope we have been more successful here than we have previously been, 

in spelling out the true nature of the relief being sought 

Sincerely yours, 

(Signed) Henry G Fischer 

HGF/rl 

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Bl AUG 195t 

1.:1". Hear;y" G Fischer 

c/ o Fischer, Tillis and Panzer 

Dupont Circle Building 

ash.1ngton 6, D. c. 

Dear Mr. Fischerl 

Be: froposed Bill !or the Belief o! 

lrr. n"'lll 1q F. Friedman 

Bece1pt is acknmrledged or your 1.etter ot 'Z'I ~~t 1951 nth 

re6-ard to the proposed bil1 for the relie!' of 1.!r. W1lliem F. Friedm:m 

It is desired w inform }'OU that, in considering this matter 

and detem1n1ng the position of tna Department o! Defense WJ.th respect 

thereto.,, as set rorth in the letter .t'ra:i this office dated 9 August 1951, full consideration was given to all. aspects of the matter, 

incl.lliine not only such ler;al. rights as Mr. Friedman l!light have in 

the prani.ees, but also all of the equitable considerations involvod 

in the matter. 

SJmilar co"1Sideration will be &ivcm to all facts and circumstances 1n the case in any report which ·rrs:y be ma.de by the Department 

of Defense with respect to the proposed bill in the nent 1 t 1s 

presented to the Congress. 

l'lILLAH.D J. ID!GES 1 JR. 

Lieutenant Co1ore1, Jl..00 

Chie.t> Pa tents Di rlaion 

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