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_UK-US CONFERENCE ON THE OOz.:MUNICATIOID SEClRITY CF 

NA TO COU NT RIES 

Minutes of. the Plenary Session reld at 

1000 hours, 5 Jure, 1953 

In the Chair: Lt.. Gen. R. J. Canire ·• 

U. K. Delegates U. s. Delegates 

I'1r. w:t11:ta'm F. Fr:i.6~ca 3. 3( h) ( 2) 

Mr~ y:Lctor P. Keay PL 86-36/50 USC 3605 

Mr. Frank B. R0ttle tt 

11r. Rebert F: Packard 

Mr. William H. Gai el 

Capt • Gifford Grange, USN 

Col. M. L. 'she rburn, IBA 

Lt. Col. John ·M. Anierson~ USAF 

Lt. K. B. Monypeny, Jr., USN (Secretary) 

Distinguished Guests 

. ' 

Mr. W. Park Armstrorg 

Maj. Gen. Harry Reichelderfer, lBA 

RADM. J. N. Wenger, USN 

Capt. L. s. Howeth, l5N (fer RADM. W. B. Ammon) 

Capt. J. A. Mcrrieon, USN 

Col. James Corr, USA (fer Maj. Gen. G. !. Ba.ck) 

Col. John G. Ondrick, USA (fer Br:ig ·' Gen. E. H. Porter) 

Capt. J. s. Harper, USN 

Col. A. R. Marcy, l1'"".1A . 

Col. Rcb ert E. Schukrart, USA. 

Col. Geer ge P. Sampson, USA 

Cdr. W. L. Thoma.a, USN 

Mr. T. Achilles Polyzoides 

Mr. F. A. Raven 

1. Ope nipg of. C onf ere ro e by Direct or , N3 A 

In welc aning the menbers at the UK .delegation, Lt. Gemral Cru:iine stated 

that l:e was be caning an e.xpert on opening the ee confereroes. He expla.ired 

that he ha.d been requested by Mr. Dulles, Qn irna n af the United States 

Canmunications Intelligence Beard to express his regrets that he could net. 

be present and to extenda.:welcODB .for.Jilinself on be.l:a.l.f of the Bcn:rd to 

the United Kingdom Delegation. · 

Gereral Canire noted thatithe if'oblem which this ,cont"ereroe was to 

coteiderwae a recurring one. He sa:irl that this was net the !irst tine 

·the two teams had sat down with this problem ard added that ha suspected 

·it would not be the last tine 're wruld do so. He pointed out that it was 

not a.n easy pr c:blem to solve a.rd tha. t son-e i:eopla J'ad rather positive 

ideas concerni~ it. To reach a solution to such ·a problan, -he sa:ld 1 

becQD9s geanetrically increasi~ly difficult.. 

PrcbJems that l~ themselves to exact neasuramnli were usually fairly 

. ·simple to ~c "lve. Pr.d>lems that evolve into an ••educated gress" engeniered 

their own dif'fic ulties in solution. He stated th:i. t if the delegates entered 

t~ confereree "With tre idea that mere is aoeompl:ished by_ evolution \than 

revo.lutfOn the oo~.#i.~P'»f wwld come up with s_91m constructive recommerdatiom · 'o the two Dlft fidd • 

.. 

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He coreluled by offering the facilities of tlX? Natiornl Security Agepey 

an:i the Secretary of the Dmro to Lhe visiting delegations. He expressed 

too hope that th0y wuJrl take advantage of the ent.erta.i.rnmnt facilities 

in the Washi~ton area, ard that this visit wuld beL ~n exceedingly pleasan;t. - •-... - ·----·~·-···---·---··-·---~ 

ore. 

2. Remarks by He.'.!.d of British Dole gation 

Mr.~~replied on behalf of the British delegation arrl expressed 

his tha.~Geraral Canire for the wann an:i hearty welcone extende::l. 

He expressed hiS appredation for the arra~ements an:l accommodation ma.de 

available ard sa;i.d tha. t he hoped tre UK delegates. couldf:i.rrl.-time -a·s-ide __ _ 

fran the confereree work to enjoy the ert ertairnnent proi.rided by Washi~ton. 

He continued by explaining that as the UK viewed the situation there 

·were two facets to\ the problem. F:irst, there was tre question of compellirg 

NATO natiom to comply with the regulat:iora 'on we or NA.TO ciphers for 

dccuments v.hich are\ properly graded NATO and CCSMIC. Secordly, a.side frcm 

canpellir:g than to use NATO ciphers, it, was recessary to face the fact that 

it was not enough to\ !-ave just NATO, l5, ·.ard ·UK ciphers secure; ira ecure 

natiore.l ciphers cL N/\TO countries constituted a dangerous source or 

intelligerx: e to our potential enemies. 

He stated tmt if we were to take positive action to improve the 

cryptographic security of NA'I'O m tions we sh ruld of course be ml king a 

considerable sacrifice of irt.elligen::e. 1 - ' 

He sa:id ttat in time of shock arrl crisis the value cl COUNT would 

irx:rease. In tirm of war there would be a greatly diminished flow of 

irt. ell igerx: e when other agencies had im reased difficulty get ting inf crim tion out of the country. In wartiire, the Russians would no longer 

be able to use their embassies us a cloak to carry intelligerx: e. 

11r .. sa:id tha. t Lonion he looked thro sane 

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On tm question of timeliness, he said tint it was his belief tmt 

th:1.s problem was ore tra t could not wait, not only because it was 

dangerous to continue as we have in th:is dangerous world in which we 

live but also becat5e the rroblem could net, startl still. He said that 

if the UK arrl ·5 did net take the lead in -this rm tter, if we cort.inued, 

to refuse to di. cuss COMGEC with NATO m tiore we shouJd firrl tha. t ithey 

He said he'would advocate saying in effect to NA.TO rations, "Lock 

what you are doi~. Think what you are doirg. If you don't like it, 

tmn we will propcs e a rerredy." \le could stop too leaks without allow!~ 

I I 

If on the otre r h9. n:i we stood :r:a t and alloved them to get help else-

/// 

3. Selection ct Chairman of thre Conferem:e 

Gereral Canirn irw ited Er. I I to assune chair'manship /of the 

fere me. He requested that, with re .ral Canirn 's permission, he/ be 

Conference. Mr.I I expressed his wazm apprec.ia t.:k>n f<r the or .ter 

but stated that he v.ould \.much pref~to see a lB chairman at' the conexcused from tm of fer. Gere ral Ca · n:3 then iroposed/ tha ti Mr. l"riednan, 

Head of the US Dela gation, \serve as m irrnan. This Jil'Oposal was accept,ed 

by the conference. 

4. Remarks by Chairman of the. Conference 

Mr. Friedm:m thanked Gere ral Canine .arrl expressecl his/appreciation 

1 for ttk honor. He stated that he comidered the Chairmanship represented 

'

1 a rather hazardous mission arrl added trat it was also ra zardous far tm 

\members of the UK delegation as well as for the US/delegation. He 

explaire9. that the. m zard exists because all the delegates were going to 

1

r:W,l ~the r,isk gf becomiqs exp CB ed to\.a very dangerou$ occupational disease 

wh~<it he' t~rme~ ,.!•c,ryptolcgic schizophrenia." f',•· • I I •· · 

In explanatio,n of th is terminology th;! Chai.rm.an stated that narnally 

;i,t was our dut y ani .to our int ere st, as rrembet's/ of the C OHNT cotm1Uili ty,, 

to cultivate gardens from which came vet"j va:Luable intelligence prodmts, 

ard to cultivat9 them to the very best of o\Xr'.iability. But at this 

cojJf~once~ he continued, the delegates were goiQ?; to talk about nakirg 

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s.am of th cs e gardens arid, not only fer the us;::R but al so for the UK 

. ~m the U3. He noted th is conflict in aim 'M)UJd doubtless cause psychic 

. cqnflicts and he cautiored that the delegates wouJd rave to be very 

careful to realize on \\hich side they were arguing at any given momert. 

He stated that the delegates rad gatm red to dis cuss two papers: 

one paper representiqs a ffred fonnal poo it ion of the UK; the ether 

paper representing a tentat'ive tB pcaition W1 ich the UK delegation might. 

help to finn up. The two courses cont. aired the rein, he pointed out, 

were not very different.. The aim was the same am ti~e ultimate goal 

was the sane • 

The Cha irrnan said th at he intenl ed to do evecyt:h i~ pees .i..ble to 

facilitate the corrl. uct af his iness arrl. advised 'the UK delegates he had 

already served net ice to the US delegation to be prepared to work all 

day on Saturday. · 

He con::l trled by saying that he lnd, received word from the Directer, 

GCHQ, irrl.ic a ting that the extern i on pf :ttie a'genda to incl ul e a review , 

of the conclusiors reached in the 1951 conference in the present con- I 

sid eration of the problem was implied in the co mid eration of the problem 

a~~ was agreeable, based upon the UK ani the U3 dccuments. 1 

5. Time anl lace of first me 

Mr. Friedman informed the elegates of the physical arrangements fer 

th9 conferem e. He prop cs ed at the first ne eting of the delegates be 

at 1100 in th3 conferen::·e head mrters. It was agreed. 

6. Tm re bei~ no .further bus ra ss, Gem ral Canira declared the openir:g 

session cl CE ed. at 1050. 

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/s/ K. B. Monypeny, Jr. 

K.B. Morzypeny, Jr. 

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