-·· 

,. 

I 

.... 

.... .;.• 

·E 

- . 

' 

{ 

I J 

·-1 

"';'• 

.. 

• .:t.-. -···--

- .. ·- '•' -= 

:. . 

-· .. 

.,. . ._, .. 

& 

. -

. 

REF rn-:A.63365 

--

.. 

' ,_ 

.... 

"-·· ............... 

' -

*' T 

""Ak· -, 

,. ,;,.; 

. , . · ..... 

... 

........ •. 

• '!i!r- •. ~ 

• .. r .:11ii=:--..... _ .' ,, . 

-· 

'• 

..- ,: 

. 

' 

•- - =i'H ot ·; 

, ) 

..... • •• t' • .;j- ·-: •. ..;.. 

.... ··- ' y ';,, 

...... : 

• + ._ .. ": 

.. > .... C". * 

, ........ .....- « ... 

~ .-. 

::m._ .. ~ 

'1 - @'pproved for Release by NSA on 11-21-2013 pursuant to. E .o. 13s2e_..:.:...-,...._1_--'___. ... ~·=_-.: __ ,..,~.~~"--=·,.,._ 

-~~--~~-=-----............................................................ ___ ........................ -.~ 

-----~----.. - ---
REF ID:A63365 

tirst 

~at 

some 

the h1a1iCll'ical baclqp."OUD4 ot crntol.ogy. NtXt will come a 

1R... ~e-...\..ot._, pre•eutat1aa ot tM •nner aa4 1rs' tllit•wa vher•bJ Camn1mtcatiOD Secur1t7, 

or SIGINT, in British terminology, 

1ibereb7 Cc•nmUcatiam IntelUpACe, ~, tcr abort, COMJirtJ\ia ol1ta.1ned, bow 

unrivalled 

it mq be Jll'operl.1' XSJCS1• s 1¥ twed and aateguari.ed, url ite/utility :ts:&m 

as an intelligence weapon in the 

"OCD4'UCt ~ lll04erJl WU'fare. 

P1rat, then, tor hiataric&L lle.ckgrOUDd. 

a1litar'J veapoa., but it Irias not alvaya beea nprdecl u a weapon, let alone a 

vital wapon. l aa 1111'• rem.1Dde4 at tlli• point ot a •tor1 that l cam acroea 

iD. a olA book on arntolo0 1 a atar7 which 1• J1'0'ba'bll' &poCl."1PhaJ. but vllich 
REF ID:A63365 

-. 

. . .. ---· - --· ---~--~--- ·-··- -- - - -- . - -----------·-- ___ ,. __ . ---------.-- - ---·- -- . --

- - - - --- I --- ~-~----.. ----.-.. -------·----~-·-----------·-----·--...... ----.. ----.-- .. -----------

I . 

- ... - - -. --- --.=---------------- - -~- - - ----------- .,...____..,....- ----.---... ·- ----------.- - ""'I"'·-------

' 

. --·--·------' ----:---------------~-~-------_ -----r----------------·- ·--~ 

:·-· -. ----- -~ --_-- --- ----·--·-·. ·- ---- -. -· --- .. - - --~~------·---- ----· -... ::;.!:;/& ... - ----·--·--· .. -· ··--·- . - - _-:._ _____ : I - , 

... - . ------ --f-----~ --- -- . --.-~-~------------- -------~ -~------------------

' -· 

.. --- . ---- ---- ---- ------- - ------~~----- ------·-------- -~-------------------,."T'" --·---- ----- - ----- ....;..._ 
l 

' 

1 "'~i\-' _,. • E 

' 

REF ID:A63365 

.. 

o, thou vile am inaatiable llQDlterf 'lo di•turb these poor 'bcmear 

It thou. had '•t. lear.aed aomathilll more wsetul than the art ot 

decipber1Dg1 

Thou would• •t not be footaare 1 hUDgrJ" 1 or 1D. need of mo.iMtJ a 

lt!sJQ' tillea 1A tbe courae ot the put tortJ" year• I•ve lla4 occuian to 

viab that I Dew- tu old pl'a acldreaa 10 that I could write ber, as a :f'1rat 

1n4ar1ement. to her ba.aic CtJD11UD1catiOD., the eilagle ward 1tconcur. • .( ) e •• < I Ii< f • 

'rhi• bein& & TOP SJl'JRlrr lecture it v1lJ. appear a bit 1Dcoogruoue that. I 

1 •lraUld begin by readiD& tram. & source which you 111 all recop1•·-'IDIB maga.a1•. 1 

• I' U read tr01l the l. 7 December 1945 i••ue aD4 l will preface the re.41118 b7 

by that date all 

reatiDding 7W that/t!ae var wea/aver--or at J.eut V...J aDd V-J 4qa had been 

some months before You' 11 remember the 

celebrated/ 1 •lst' ••m•:: • laud clallor Oil the :part. ot certain vociterOUB 

•mbere ot Consr•• who bad f~ ~· been iuiating upoG 1Mrllill8 and d1•clo•:tns 

to the people of tbe U.a.1"ted Statea the reaa0ll8 w~ we had been caught b1 lut'priee 

in auch a 4ieutroua defeat• I 1 2 ml:.,. aa the Japanese W inflicted. upon ua 

at, Pearl. Thi• cla1Bor bad to be met; the •tter cou.1.4 no longer be hwtbed up1 

~ had been and still 

tMJ' contended, b7 the need far milita.ey eecrec;y. fill '7 1 ...; w• e invea'tip.1iiOD9-

ot them -and now there was to be a 

a halt dose11 er 110re I W*iiill8'UI • 1111+: graDd tim.l.e Joint Congreaaional :tnvea .. 

tip.tion :!Jlto tba Attack on Pearl Barbor. It was tbia 1D.vestiption which not 

OJll1' 1teelf' brought into tl:Mt open ever7 detail am exhibit uncovered 'b1" ...it 

-~- • 
- - --- - - ------------------------ REF ID:A63365 

l:n abort, '\fben 0\1.r camna.ndere bad CCIWl'l' 1Q Wadd War II the7 were abJ.e 

to put vbat small forces the7 ha4 at the right place 1 a1; tbe right time. But 

vben the 414n•t ba"Ye 1t--e.Qd. thia hal>P!ned several. t1mes--the1r forces ~ten 

took a beating. Latw on we •u note 1.nltauces at each tnie. 
REF ID:A63365 

I hope X•ve not tried your patience by au.ch a J.ugthJ' pre:tace to the 

real. aumtauce ot rq talk, ao J.et'• pt 4own to 'bra.a• t&cU, u4 a1nce a 

'bit of hUtOJ:7 i• &1"*1'8 \18etul ill introduc:lllg a eubJect 'bel.o.ngiDg to & 

1.Jrtormt1on aboUt C1'7.Ptol.087, which compri••• two related aciencee, tmt ot 

or 1ibe .- co1D, tor pre>gree• in one 1.Devttabl)" lea4• to progress ill the 

other. 

,J 

•14 at crntol.oO' &D4 ea:pecial.J.7 or~ics1 iif 1• obviou.. 

> 

tiat &\ltbatic aratiau v1th reference to the bacJ&groUQll aucl development 

prevent 1111 •¢DB ver7 much in detail about 

; 

how good or bad tbe7 wre 1a cnmillAl""ieon ft th ua. Sutt ice 1 t to 1ay that v• 

./ 

,,. 

lookld pret.t;y good 1n cryptologic together with our :priAcipU allJ', 

/I 

lr1tain, we C2:7,P'tologiata mt~ tbf.Dk WOil the war, though other• aeem 

f;a ... llillla14 tbl _.,. L-. 

1' 

I cu anl:r give~ tair:Q- soc4 accOU11t ot U .s. ~~· 

I' 

a urtain point J t1:M1 aa4 ewn tJ:Jen I wUl not be a to eq very mah about .. I ~ 

- •57 '8caue tbe ataey 1a too l.cag to gift ia a leo~.,.. ..... a aerla 

'or ~· XII. - .._. •• or "l' "'1k I wW. -"""' a .- at ~tratiom or 

...a .. 
REF ID:A63365 

' Cictate tbttir cmia11on1 but becauae ot their poas1.'bl.e J.Ate,at I 

vill. bere an4 AOV aaJr.e a senaral apology for the us/ ot the I.' 

,I 

i>W•Ollal. P'-· II 

:U:1t slide, pleue. Cqptograi>b7 and cryptane.l.j"&ia 

I 

go back t.o tbR 4avJl of the 28 Atiai at 'WZ'it.1Dg, and bel'e t.,i'bow an inete.nce 

~ 

ot cipher 1A 'tbe :&ible. ID 25126 occur• the ~siaA "And tbe klllg 

tit -bath ebsll a.-!llk .ner .,_,. 'o a /l'"' "II'"' u si-ballb 

talllonl" llell., t:or -.u;y, - ~s -~ -r-· 1'PPll""" a _ _.,.. 

ftere """ DO amh p.lee. J1ut - ·--J' r-t it JOU writ.. tbe 

tnn1;7 .. tvo letters ~ tbe He'brev &lpb&'bet. 1Jl jhd'fCNB 1 elJnen a:¥i o.J.eve.o.1 liJDe 

toh!a, 1"'l Mt 1111 a. .. .mutut104 a.Jp-;tellJ' ~ cu. replace - letter• bJ' 

*""" •taridiJla: oppoe1te -· rar """"'1e, •s11111,• ~ ... --11;y "llctb" 

" 

~ vice veraa, ao that "Sheebe.Jth" t""la.tes "lla.beJ." 1 or ~~Lon.'' '.rllo vowel.9 

I 

11114 w be supplied.. IDC:UentalJ..7, ment1olliq the :a1'ble1 om 

I 

was an early" I but not the first in the~ibl.e--

Du.1el, wlto wu/IM:dintl ;ps~aJptj WU du 'the first Cl'1Jtt.&na11'9t• I •&7 , \ 

I \ 

I ' i-Jehoaue.J.:yat., bees.use 'Y'f ream'ber how be interpNted lebucbadms~•s cJreams. 

I \ 

~l•"sxasrfJIA...... qDt:t 

WUX ........ :'f'T-~-..x~:lx~ * 

I \ --~~XMifaDplillJQJGhi1Xft»X1'&8Xmp1JtmJXU'lnhlU'*BJ~ 

I ' ~----•XUCxua:acxQax~~XUlffUIXliPCX~XQW\ . \ 

'lt.pl"~pQWXJilalXX-.UXftlXG11XIRIPd1fXXWXJUIXKllJX:lthill,XIXhlP* 

-9-
REF ID:A63365 

- 1:'1 'Ion "l* s-t etl i- Je'll ...... - - ..... ·-i ...... + J ,,,!' /I' 

•Ht9 ent,-r-t.be7 :taiW..-..t&- wt• 8QQ11. --ir..Jlie4.. .... 

11.94 ••15'r-Mbi'ti4 ") 

/ 

SOM 19&1'• later, Ifebu.cbadnez&C"'• 

It 

a ncret ••aaaeJ Jel.ahazZQ"'"waa very ch up1et ari4 called tor hie aoatba&)'el'&1 

\ 

Cb614ean aorcerera • ~1C1am1 and •o on,, :t tbe,y oouldD •t read the message--

/,... 

&pp&rentl.y tba:/ c~•t eve.a. read tbe cipher baracteraf Well.t Daniel. vu 

I 

ca1led :Ul atll a~c/-e4 not CJD11 1A readiy the 

in deciphering 

... , tekcl, upbarstA", but &lao/the mpen1l18 ar tbe • Bi• interpr.-etat1on 

wu "Mime" -- God hath nllllbered '\Obq k11agd.om u4 t1A18 it. "'rek.el" ... '.rbou 

art n1gllal.;.. tbe ~ - towl4 -iD&· "Up.ro:l.u"\ r&l:ber "!'area", 

(~ tbe ebap vbo '14 tbe -vritiDg "" tile ....U Jmew ~ or fNo 

~ c:eyptosra~, _,_ ha - "variellte" I) -- 't111' IW!mdClll ~ be 41Y1<led 

&Ill given to the Medea and hr•iaDa·" 

-lflJ-
REF ID:A63365 

.. 
REF ID:A63365 

l '>l Greeb. They bad a wooctea cylinder of apec1f'ic dimensions, around vhich the;y 

wrapped ap1rall.Jr a :piece ~ parebmeAtJ they then wrote the mes.sage across the 

Z'4tef.piut vou.14 v1:a4 the parchment aitowd. an ident1c~-dimensioneQ. cyl:iJJder,. 

ad tbua briDg together properJ.7 \he bits of 1etter1 repreeenting the message. 

tth1a cliagraa, 1neidf'ntally, ie n.ot correct. 1rhe vri ting "WU 4one al.one the 

e4pa at the parchment, aa I sa14 bef'are. and not &B e.hown 1n this ;picture. And, 

'by the Y&'Ti tbe "bl!ltoo which the European f':!.el.d marehal. at!ll curieo as one ot 

the inlipia ot his h:lp ottice! derives trom. thie very 1.nstru.nt. 

Caet1ari at courae, is well lmown 1n hia -taey to have uaed cryptOil'aphy --

- a 1fW7 •illlple •thod 1 o"brtoualy', beeauae a.11 he did wa.a to replace each letter 

by the om tha:t waa fourth f'rom it 1n the al.phabet Cicero was one of tbe 

taventar• at what ii now called shartbaud. He had a el.ave by the oame ot 'l'iro 

vtlo vrate fer C1cliro bia recorda and so on, 1n abortband or 'l'ironean notes, as 

the¥ are called. 

'fbe beginni_,sor modern crypto1ogy can be traced 'back to the days of the 

..rly ~· ar the l5tb Century, wben the science was extell81vely emplo)'ed by 

(4.lJ) tbe prince• aud chanceries in the Papal states, about llt-tiUI I ahov next an 

-3.pbabet al that per1o4 which 18 intereetillg mere:cy becauae it shows that i..a. thOfJe 

ar~ 48.78 the7 alrea47 bU a recognition of the buic lR!tlknelta of what ve call 

-u. .. 
:, 

., 

------~·· ....... ·-:=.....---~~ 

~~~.,~·~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~-.--:----~~- "':"-..... , 

--t•--- .. ..., . - r ... 

....... ,,,..,, 

........ _ 

• 

... ....::--~---

::- 'J"" --------------

I t.•• 

-· • - .~1;.i._\ _ _:_~~-- ~-·· .. 

..... -

~-- ___ ...._ 

....... ' 

-

-----

. --lilittllllt-·=··-

.. 

~L~ _,_,...~-~­

__..___ __ _ 
REF ID:A63365 

In 1J1rtting M to a4dnt•• the •tatt am 111tudenta ot the Senior School 

ot the Marine Ccrpa on. the aubJect ot "Canmunicat1one Intelligence am 

C<m1W11cat1cm. Securit;y" I aa•Ullllt that General 'rvin1Dig1 e obJective ia to make 

;you. aware ot the rol.e that tbtae tvo brancbea ot the acience ot cryptoloa 

haft pl.aye4 iA tbe paat &DIS can in the tuture asain plq as & Vital mil1£ag: 

Soon after the cl08e ot Worl.4 War II, the c<l"NncJante ot our variows 

sen1ce achool.11 began to uk the cryptologic apnciea ot tm Arm4 l"arcee for 

J.ecturva to tell their atudent otticera •omething about our cr7,ptol.ogic 

utirltiea during tbe war. There vu at firet aerioua queetion u to the 

adrtaabllit¥ or lif't!Jl8 tbe security veil au1't1cientq to permit 41ecuss10ll or 

the •ubJect, but ill 'tia an attU-.tive dec1a1oo vu made. 'l'be otficial views 

~ the ll'aval. War College on tbe matter vere stated in a letter elated 5 Pebruar;y 

19116, from the then hes14ent ot the College, .A4m1ral R. A. Spz-uance, to the 

Chief or kval CCllllWD.1e&t1ona, Admiral E. B. Stone. In. commenting Upoll tbe tine 

:i;reaentation ml!l4e 'by a eertaiD. 1:peaker, M.miral Spl"UaDCe 11ai4a 

"'Bia tr•tment ~ thl aubJect -.tter emp\tasised the value ot 

camuuicatim 1Dtelltsence to aa'lal c.._nder•, the vital illpOrta.ace of 

minta1u1nc.. the aecurity ot our own comnunieation in:tellipnce activitiea, 

aa4 the Dee•••it7 tor obaerving tbe priACipl.ea of camannfoation aecurit7 

in derenae aga1nat •D1811tY cOlllS.Ulicat1on 1nteU1sence. I cQQ81der that the 

val• to 'be derived troll the 1nd.octrination of ••Dim' otticer• or the !la'Y)" 

iD tmff priJloipl.ee tar outweighs any poaai'ble l011• ot aee\ll"ity reaulting 

f'rom a partial. revelation or our activities in tbe put. war, particularly 

in Tiw of the 4iacloaurea which b&ve been -4.e 1D the preaa. 
--

REF ID:A63365 

•it appear• ax1ca.t1c that the tu1.l bmatit ot commu.ntcatiOR 1.AtelliPAC• oan be obtai.Md onl)' when all aenic:r otti.cera r...Un i ta poter1. .. 

1\1*l.it1•• tor Yimling am l.Olin.g battlA• and V&l"a, u4 vben tbeil" act1ona 

U'e t.eaperell 'bJ' complete knowledge ot tbe elwnta ot caamunication 

iAtelUpuce, rathilr tban bf incomplete aD4 inaccurate iA:toratiOQ obtaiDed. 

through the cluu»:wl• ot gossip." 

111' talk be1D6J 41v14e4 into three ptr1o41 I v1ll give ;you tirat aome ot the 

Jaiato:rtcal 'background ot ll17Ptolomr. lext rlll com a preaentat.10Q ot the 

u eatalUiabed and m.1.ntained; u4 finally vill oome a pNaentation ot the buic 

pr-1Acipl.M1 procedurea, •chiner)t, u4 organisation whereby Cmmunf c&tiODB 

Xntellipnce, or, te# abort, ea.mrr or SIOIIT, in Brituh term1D.ol.og,y, 1a 

I opemd IV' re-.rka bJ" rttf'erring to the eeieuce ot cr1}>tology u a. vital 

lliU.taey- veapon., but it laa ~ al¥&1W bee1l rqa:nted. a.a a weapon, i.t alone a 

Yital wapon. I aa here rainded at tbi• point at a atoey t:ba-t I cue acroea 

in u ol4 boolr. on ceyptology, a story which 1.a probabl)" &poorypbal bu.t vl:dch 

I sift tor vi.t it my be vortb. 
REF ID:A63365 

l.anguap, &D1 thit 1• wbat 1• .. 1d1 

0 1 thou Tile and iuaatiable monaterl 'l'o 41aturb the•• poor bones! 

It thou ba4'•t learned aomethigg more ua•f\ll tban tbe art. at 

4ff'1pberi.Qg, 

lfbou vOUld•at not be tootaore, bwacr'11 or in oeed of money! 

Mll.01' ti.ma in the course o'l tba put tort7 ;yeara I'T• ha4 occuion to 

viab ~t l Jmew tht ol.4 gal'• adtresa 10 that I cou.1.4 write her, u a firet 

iJldor•ement to her 'buic oorm:nunicatioo, tbt e1Agle vor4 •cQDCur.tt 

Thi• 'be1.ng a !OP ~RB'l' lecture it will apPear a bit iDcongruows that I 

I'll read trcm the 17 December l.94-5 uaue and I 'Will preface the rea41DS bf 

rail:ldiJlg 70U that 'b;y that date th& var va1 all over--or at least V-E and V-J 

4qa bad 'been celebrated aome months before. t"ou•u rf!JMmiber the loud clamor 

ac the part at certaill vocit'eroua JllJllberlJ ot Congreaa vho bad tar year• beea. 

reuCIDI \rey ve 1-4. bHn ca\l&bt bf aurpri1e in euch e. 41aaatroua d.eteat u the 

Japamae bad inflicted upoil ua at Pearl. Thi• clAmor bad to be met; the mtter 

DOW' ti.re vu to be a gr&m tiA&J.e Joint Coogresaio.oal Inff•t1ption 1.Ato the 

Atta.cit on harl Barbor.. It waa thu 1Jlveatipt1oa. wbich AO't ooq 1teelt brOUSht 

into the open •V8:17 detail aD1 exhibit uncovered by 

-4-
------- -···-·---------- ~---------------

REF ID:A63365 

Ia •hi:rt, vben our comeMera had COMillT 1D World. War ll the7 vere &ble 

to pit vt.t a..n i'arce• thq ha4 at the .rieht place, at the ript time. nut 

W.n they 414D. 1t llave it--ad th1a happened aeveral ti.Ms--tbeir torcea often 

\oak a lleating. IAWI" on ve•ll note inatancee ot each type. 

I llopt l 've .uot tried J'OU1" patience 'b7 •uch a len.stb7 pretace to the 

reel. nbatance ot rq talk, ao let•• pt 40Wll to bra.ea tacb, &a4 aiAce a bit 

at biatacy 1• al1A111J UHtul 1D introducing a •u.bJect belonging to a 1:pecial 

uA DOt.-to-wll-Jr.nown t1el4, I'U begin. b)' giving 70u ~ hietarical intorm:tion 

about crnrtoJ.081', which comprieea two related acieacea, that at cryptograpi:cy', 

and the other at crn>tem171u. 'lhe;y an but oppoaite tace• ot 1;be eame coin, 

tor P"O&l"'... in (QI 1nev1t&'b.1¥ J.M4• to pt"ogl'e98 1D the other• 

U tt.e pm'ldtte4 w o-0\ll.4 go ~ar back into hi•toey to ... the earliest 

bec1Dn1np or aecznrt C!.._UJ>1catione and thia .aJ.sht take WI to the V&r¥ claVJl 

ot the ari at writing 'becau.ae there 1• rooia to wonr.\er which a. first, ord1.Da17, 

intelligible lf?'1t1Ag or ailltelligibl.e, th&t u, aecret wr1t111g. Instances ot 

eipber are f'OUDd in the Bible, tar instance, and ,,. now know that •cae ot the 

anoieo.t Egptian hieroel1Jlh1c vritil.1g vu aomtimta enctpbared. But we mat 

ccin& brief mntic:m. '1'be.re 1•1 bovever, one item 111 that hiatory which ie worthy' 

ot apecial notice, the •c:zt.!l.!, 'Wtlich 1a the earliest ci:pber 4evice hiataey' 

NCatde dll which vaa uae4 b)" the ancient I.acedamoniarla or Creeks. They bac1 & 

(a) wooden cylioler ot apecif1c d:lmlinaioae, arcwd vhich they wrapped spiralq a 

-8-
REF ID:A63365 

piece at parclmmt; l»1 then wrote the message acroaa tbe e4ge1 ot the parchment, 

\D1V'OllQd 1t, &rd Milt tt to its destination, '11bere the recipient voulcl wiDl the 

auropeu ttlld llU"abll a.till. c&rri•• ae one ot the ina1.gni& of hi• h18h ottioe 

I 

I 

' 

t.eri"YU rrll tb.i• ver.,- !Jllltrument. 

' ' 

by the one tat "3 tourth :trom 1 t ill tbe al.phabet. Cicero vu one ot the ,, 

1.zrnntare ot vbd b now ~ ahortband. He bad a alave by the name ot Tiro 

al.:pba.bet ot that Pt.r1ol1 vbich u 1ntere•t1Dg merely 'becauee it •how& tbat 1n tboee 
REF ID:A63365 

When General Twining invited me to address the staff' and students of the 

Senior School of the Marine Corps on the subJect "Communications Intelligence 

and Security" it was with pleasure • ............._, that I accepted the invitation 

because I assumed that the objective of such an address is to give 

you some background mfart•.- rt intonation about the field to which tbose two 

su.bJect• belong, DWly, the science of cryptolosr, ~x:-~ ~ I :pl'opose to tell you 

something tbat science 

/about how ~developed, and ~ to imicate the mnne.r in which it can and 

bas been empl.oyed as a vital military wea;pon. 

My talk being divided into three parts or periods, _. Ji w&ll give you 

f'irat some 1 of the historical background of cryptology. 1ext will come a 

presentation of the manner and instrumentalities whereby Cammunication Security, 

or tor short, COMSEC, is established and maintained, and finally will come a 

presentation of the basic principles, procedures, machinery, and organization 

or SIGINT, in British termllxlgy; whereby Communications Intelligence, or, for short, COMDT/is obtained, how 

unrivalled 

it may be properly mJ:aip:i4JM.., used and safeguarded, and itEy' utility ill1ddla 

.. _. lllJ•m1n!fxai1Xl_,lllllib--ia .. rlll-awm•m• as an intelligence weapon in the conduct of modern warf'are. 

First, then, far historical background. 

I opened 'lq remarks by referring to the science of cryptology as a vital 

military weapon, but it has not always been regarded as a weapon, let alone a 

vital weapon. I am here reminded at this point of a story that I came across 

in an old book on cryptology, a story which is probably apocryphal. but which 

I give for what it may be worth. 
REF ID:A63365 

language, and this is what it said: 

O, thou vile and insatiable monster! To disturb these poor bones! 

If' thou bad. 1st learned something more useful than the art of 

deciphering, 

Thou would. 1st not be f'ootsore, hungry, or in need of' money! 

Many times in the course of the past f'orty years I've bad occasion to 

wish that I knew the old gal's address so tbat I could write her, as a f'irst 

indorsement to her basic communication, the single word "Concur." ~.,....~ 

This being a TOP SJERE'r lecture it will appear a bit incongruous that I 

should begin by reading tram. a source which you 1 ll all recognize--TIMB magazine. 

I 111 read from tbe 17 December 1945 issue, aD4 I &Kill preface the reading by 

by that date all 

reminding you tba"tf the var was/ over--or at least V-E and V-J daya had been 

some months before You'll remember the 

celebratecy :xi rd *t t t1 n s • loud clamor on the pa:rt at certain vociferous 

:members of' Congress who bad for years been insisting upon learning and disclosing 

to the people ot the United States the reasons why we had been caught by surprise 

in such a disastrous defeat and calamity as the Japanese bad inflicted upon us 

at Pearl. Thia clamor bad to be met; the matter could no longer be bus.bed up, 

bad been and still 

they contended_, by the need for military secrecy. So t'bere/were investigations--

of them and now there was to be a 

a half' dozen or 111DreJ , 2•@ p4 •w grand finale Joint Congreasicmal Investigation into the Attack on Pearl Barbor. It was this investigation which not 

only itself' brought into the open every detail and exhibit uncovered by Jlllit 

-3- ------ --~~-- -~--

' 
REF ID:A63365 

In short, when our commanders had COMDT in World War II they were able 

to put what smll forces they bad at the right place, at the right time. But 

when the didn't have it--a.nd this happened several times--their forces often 

took a beatins Later on we'll note instances of each type. 

-7-
REF ID:A63365 

I hope I've not tried your patience by such a lengthy preface to the 

real substance of 11t1 talk, so let's get down to brass tacks, and since a 

bit of history is always usef'ul. in introducing a subject belonging to a 

special and not-to-well-known f'ield, I'll begin by giving you some historical 

information about cryptology, which comprises two related sciences, that of' 

cryptography, and the other of cryptanalysis. They are but opposite faces 

of' the same coin, far progress in one inevitably leads to progress in the 

other. 

Bow, because ot the secrecy or cloak of silence which officially surrounds 

the whole field of cryptology and especially cryptanal.ytics, it is obvious 

that authentic inforDBtion with reference to the background and development 

ot the science in foreign countries is quite sparse, and although after World 

War II we learned much regarding the accomp1ishments in this field of wark 

by our enemies, security rules prevent my saying very much in detail about 

how good or bad they were in comparison with us. Suffice it to say that we 

looked pretty good in cryptologic affairs, together with our principal ally, 

Britain, we cryptologists naturally think we won the war, though others seem 

to have mislaid the peace somewhere. 

I can only give a fairly good account Of U.S. cryptologic activities up to 

a certain point of' time, and even then I will. not be able to say very much about 

them simply because the stary is too long to give in a lecture or even a series 

of talks. In the course at my talk I wil.l present a number of' il.lustrations of' 

-8-
REF ID:A63365 

crJPtasraphy and cr;yptaDal.J'Bis, some ot which f'arm. pa.rt ot my own experience. 

Modesty would dictate their omission, but because ot their possible interest I 

will use them and will here and now DBke a general apology f'or the use of the 

personal pronoun. 

Nov m.y- we have the first slide, please. CryptograPlV' and cryptamJ.yais 

go back to the dawn ot the invention ot writing, and here I show a.n instance 

ot cipher in the Bible. In Jermiah 25:26 occurs the expression "And the king 

of Sbesbakh shall drink after them." Also in Jermiah 51:41: "How is Shesbakh 

taken!" Well, f'or nany, nany years that aame "Shesbakh" remained a 1Q11tery. 

There was no such pl.ace. But then somebody discovered that if you write the 

twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet in two rows, eleven and eleven, like 

this, you set up a substitution alphabet whereby you ca.n replace the letters by 

those standing opposite them. Por example, "Shin, 11 is represented by "Beth" 

or vice versa, ao that "Shesbakh" translates "Babel", or "Babylon." '1'be vowels 

had to be suppl.ied. Incidentally, mentionillg the Bible, one might say that 

an early but u.ot the first in the Bible--

Daniel, who was :P C' ::S paycboa.nalyst/ was llliED the f'irst crypta.Dalyet. I say 

psychoanalyst, because :rou remember how he interpreted Itebucbadnezza:r•s dreams. 

-9-
REF ID:A63365 

aaLt "t'i':Latet~~ lb." 

/ 

Some years later, lebuchadnezzar•s 

son, Belshazzar, was giving a f'east, and during the course ot the f'east the 

fingers of' a ma.n's band appeared on the wal1 behind the cand1estick and wrote 

a secret message; Be1sbazzar was very much upset and called tor his sooth&&Jel'&, 

Cbalde&11 sorcerers, magicians and so on,, but they couldn't read the message--

apparently they coul.dn •t even read tbe cipher cbaractera ! Well, Daniel was 

cal.led in and succeeded not only in reading the writing on the wal.l: "Mene, 

mene, teke1, upbarsin", but also tbe me&11ing ot the words. Bis interpretation 

was "Mene" -- God hath numbered they kingdaa and finished it. "Tekel" -- Thou 

art weighed in the balances an4 found wanting. "Upharain", or rather "Perea", 

(apparently the chap who did the handwriting on the wall knew a thing or two 

about cr;r.ptograpby, because he used "variants":) -- Thy kingdom shall be divided 

and given to the Medea and Persians." 
REF ID:A63365 

(2) The next is an illustration ot the earliest cipher device history records, 

a device which was c&l.l.ed a scytale 1 used by the ancient Lacedamonians or 

Greeks. They had a wooden cylinder ot specific dimensiODS, around which they 

wrapped spirally a piece ot parchment; theJ' then wrote the message across the 

edges ot the parchment, unwound it, a.rid sent it to its destination, where the 

recipient would wind the parchment around an identical.17-dimensioned cyli.Dder, 

and thus br:Lng together properly the bits of letters representing the message. 

This diagram, incidentally, is not correct. The writing was done along the 

edges of the parchment, as I said before, and not as shown in this picture. And, 

by the way, the baton which the European field marshal still carries as one of 

the insignia of his high office derives from this very instrument. 

Caesar, of course, is well known iD bis tory to have used cryptography --

a very simple method, obviously, because all he did was to replace each letter 

by the one that was fourth from. it in the alphabet. Cicero was one of the 

inventors of what is now called shorthand. Be bad a al.ave by the name of Tiro 

who wrote for Cicero his records and so on, in shorthand or Tironean notes, as 

they are called. 

The beginning of modern cryptology can be traced back to the days of the 

early years of the 15th Century, when the science was extensively employed by 

(4.1111) the princes and chanceries in the Papal states, about 1489. I show next an 

alphabet ot that period which is interesting merely because it shows that in those 

early days they already bad a recognition of the basic weakness or what we call 

-li-