REF ID:A66345 

~o the unlni\le.ted it •7 appear t.hat the claily Uh ot the proh•elonal oode apert 11 Ont auooaeaion .r thrilling epl•ode• and at.artllng 

• 

9Xp0•••• Litt.le is b8ard ot tbe days, weelca, nen months of tedloua, patient 

labOI" 't.bat be apenda on a single oue • often trultleaa in it.1 re11Ult.a. Jor 

to bout of an ability to \111Z'a.Tel uy oeyptogram whatso8V81' mky at ono.e be 

taken u an lndicat.t.on t.hat the one having the hardihoocl to _. auoh a bout. 

bM a great deal yet \o learn of the eubjeot. It ls true t.bat ldgU' .Allan Foe 

declared, without &n)' r•Hnatlona wbat.aoner, that •mmazi lngenuU.J oe.aot 

oonooot a oipher whioh human ingenuit:1 cannot. re•oln"J but. if a oantul lnveetigation of Poe'• qualltioation• and abilit1 u a oipber uper\ 'be madea 

and U' an inquiry into the reoord of his aohieftMD\8 in aolrin~ reall,- oompl• 

oryptograma be unciertabn, it •ill be :tot.Ind that halt.bar by aotual aaperlenoe 

nor by virtue of a wide, t.hH:retloal knowledge ot the aubjeot waa Poe reallJ 

warranted in maldng tlle uolaratlon in the form be did. Indeed, to the un• 

biased at.udent ot the eubjeot. lt will aoon appear that in cryptographJ, as in 

the other aoS.enUtio aubJeota uponwbioh he wrot.e •o gUbq, Poe •omwhat ov•r-, 

eat1-,ted t.he amount, aoaura•1, and value of the intormaUon be poHeaaed. But. 

leat I aen to aot. tlle pal"t ot a oarping oritic, let ::ne haaten \o add that ooapared wi t.h t.be UIOUnt ot lntora tlon on ornt,ograpby po•••••ed. 'b)' the great 

ma.jority ot intelligent people 4urlng h11 ti•, ·or even todaJ. Poe's knowleqe 

o.f the subjeet :I.I worthJ' o£ aotloe, it aot. avpri•• 

One 'llfttemiliar 'Wli.h tbe tedlOlll and exhausting labw .that is tha lot 

ot the crypt.ograpbel" can haft no aclequ.te id.ea of the part that ps.tienee and. a 

pproved for Release by NSA on 07-23-2014 pursuant to E.O. 

13526 
·~ 

'' ' .. 

REF, ID :A6634.5 · 

det,enalnatien w auooee4 plaJ in tbe •l.Uoa of OOlllP,1- oryptograa1 hr- . . 

· · ~ .t.U&W11, be••* 1 mt. ell eeypt.ogrw an .t.rwl.J 4lfftoult, and ma~ on 

esoe9dlnglf ~ilrplei eftl& in__. where omplioat.ed ayateu of or~ 

might be expeew4 to lie 9DOWl1WN4• An' anmelng aper.._, D;O\ Yi UMNt. 1 t. 

thrill, rrta,J illuatl'&W Roh. a ouee . .. t •• • 

On a fartioalal'J., dark and dl~l ll01"ning not. ao 10nc -ao. while 1111 

the midll't. of &ll. a\81adet. a'D4 ~lftd blt. 'tt _ anal.Jlll tbat. ...,. .... 11 ....... 

•• '° ott• hope, th8 t.-1~ na&• 

•taa~ a..-- oaiu~ • .s.r•. 

·Te~l Illa 1•:11...U-.~~11& a homP1 J •'.-tt wat 

to i.o.e t._be 1.br"4 ot ttile• • . 1 clireoted. · · . · ·.· 

·. _. ·~4o11, air, bat tJ.·~..,. s.\•~ Y.r1 urg•~t.. . ~ . . 

uu1 1-1a 1enci1Dg ~D B- ri~t. --··- . { 

. . . •All, dpt. a7b9 1~11 be tlnt•W with \Id.• oaloalaU• ·: 

"' t.he ts. b9 ail,.. .. ' 

la a'btlll\· ts.ft.Ma mla1&t.e• "tlwr• was a lmook. captain S.:.. aml n.t.oUve 1- enW"4• ti.r .,. In a. •t&te at great, e:mltemnt.. ihe C&ptala · T 

'· 

the ~ of a gug at'·~"1n&l •wggWa wrld.ng OD ~ ._.. ~· . 

. ' . 

u.,...., 40,_, alient• .~a ·~· ~· !he a11'Jme\ oavs.t. w'w ,,.,. run into, • 

ti. -\ 4allgdOU••' .., ·.;. .. ,, .nop at .rqtDlDg - wt -·~ ~ had t.be 

gooa on •... ,t,.t ~ aatf.l Dft• 'i'wo _,. ago one ot our - who wa1 ahad.cnr• . . . . 

lng a 1IOJDB alxe4 .., with the ona ~aw bff drop &. letter into_~ Mil bas. 

Po~t. ottloe ~ 1 t OJ•~ t.e hill on hl• requ9•\• DI s.n: tot. .,;tapeoial de• ~ 

-2-
REF ID: A66345 " 

U.'ftrJ' and it juat u-11.TM• Her• it 11, and lt.11 e.ddr•1ae4 to \h8 rlng 

leader. '·•'re aure it. &... Taluable 1nf'oratl•n, but noboq dowa at. m.4• 

quarter• oan make head or tall out or it. beoaue• lt.'• in ood.e. tbe s.n1pector eaya 1 t' a now up t.D JOU to :?lalce goo4 on 10Ql" r•pata t:Lon, an' be' a 

ge\Un' ready t.o oloae ln on 'em r:Le;ht. awa7, beoaUM be'• IUI"• this code 1ll 

r;i Te hi."I the r :lght lead., \te need 1pee4 an' lota ot it•. 

I reao~ to~ t,m pa.per. A quiok glanoe told me that t.m o:l.pher • 

tor the.:t'e what it Ya.a, and not. a oodll •••a&• (ther•'• a lot. ot ditmenoe) • 

waa of a 1imple 'fal"iat7. 

•r~•ll, l t.hlnk I an rad it. Come baok in halt an hour•, 

I aaid. •aut l>etore you go, let • b&Te the name• ot t.Jae llOlt important ..,. 

bere ot the gang•. 

Aa eooa aa tba two •n fr• bMdqaanera lad rel'IMStelt.ly taaa t.helr 

depertve 1 aet t.o wort. ud ln ten ld.ml\ea M.a. ftguratiftlJ rippe4 a 'ria 

peh into the thing. It wu but wn Ill.mate• more work to oamplete lt. 

Pn•nt.ly, tbere .- a Jr:noalc. Only twft'\1-t.wo or t.brce minute• 

ha4 elapsed. the hea4quartera •n wn appareDt.11 beyond t.._..l"t'H in ao1 W.nt and apeatanqe llmltulloul1 \h87 •hot thelr q~. 

"Got u.1• 

"T••• mre you ar•"• Amt I aat back aad -'Ibid the blank 

look ot amaa•-t. apread OTer t.heSZ taoee aa ttw1 rncl Ula aolutloa. Sorry I 

can only ciw p the at.art of' 1t btat thle 11 how it ruu "Doar mn et mi•• 

l am so clad "8 MU' trom JOU• Your letter ...- and r.iade 118 \"l&D.t i.o sneak up 

to the north roa and reat. 111 J0\11' arum tor a 1DDD81lt•••• I reoall the tirat. 

U.me Tlhen I wem. out in tAe 'bo9.t. It was all 110 del1ght.tu1. l roeall tbe 
REF ID:A66345 

UrUc .and lnt.~pe with a thrill that ia al.moat. U nmeh .... " and BO On at 

aw leng'th. !NlJ btere1Ung aa a 4-nt. ot emot.lon, but as to plans, 

oonapitaoie•• dope• liquor, or s::uggling • no\ a •ingle word1 

•1. W• a.111 Wb11 there nuat be o. mistake• 1 captain. B-

"Not here, Oapt.aln. l Ulm'• ;you.. 'fhla lea 1t one ot tho•• 

Sbakeapeare-Baoon cipher•• You'll Get the • ._ at&8'Hr I get it you want \o 

a4eok :t.t. tlien' s the olpmr alphabet.. And I'ft alreadf aaad.ne4 1 t to •• 

lt th.ti'•'• a •Hag• hid.den lneide t.hie one • a olpher wlthln a oiphar. 

Jlothing like that, I'• poe1Uw. It means jut wha"t. it saya, Captain, an4 

I'• atraid you 1 re on the Wl'ODg t.rall 9 • 

"-.n, 11hat. a let.*Clawn:• he orlecle •shu.oka, let..1 a beat. it., 

'n atop the in.apeotoa" tr• 4olng aaaet.bing foolleh • an' dan&eroua. thuaka1 

old man. Hope the next. om wn't be noh a hl•• alU'll •• this"• 

lletreabe4, I ret111'1194 to ~ problea • and bepn tor the n1ne bundred 

md nlnety•ninth U.. ~ ...i..iate ta. pr9bab1Ut,7 ot Pl&QV being tllll aipher 

equiftlent of EMU!• 

W:l.11iul P. l'riedan '14: