P.O.BOX 436 

REF ID :A4148~~6 

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GEORGE F'ABVAN 

CHICAGO 

March 2~ 1919. 

Dear ~lonel Ma.uborgne: 

Gee whiz, I cannot see any reason for astonishment ,excitement or anything else connected with the decipherment or a ' 

message enciphered on a machine. It's a certain satisfaction to get it. -----.. -OllO>o-.. T........:.;,....:-.... "?>iN«='~"~"'~ ... ~-.0 • 

Wbat I asked you to do seven weeks ago, was to 

send me a copy·or a message prepared by the regular Cipher Printing 

Telegraph machine in ~~~aing the .;:,y tape: ot th> day an! 1n 

ooni'ormity with your rulea tor using the Cipher machine so that the Cipher 

. ., . is not decipherable. 

The supposition is that this Cipher went to an 

officer,giving him a long me~sage,requiring at least four rotations or 

the key tapes. He had succeeded in deciphering two or three or the rotations or the tapes when he was captured, in other words, the message 

with one-half or three quarters of it deciphered, was found on his person. 

You have sent 1118 the message but you have not sent 

me the decipherment. If' you will send ma half or three quarters of the 

decipherment, I will have our people proceed with the problem. which we 

have mapped out and, which if we succeed, the results will prove to be 

ot inestimable value to the Department• ·: 

You write me concerning SClllB other machine,using 

tour elements in place or five. We are not working nor looking for work 

on a machine ot thia character at· this time. It's probably a very interest-

@'pp roved for Release by NSA on 11-19-2014 pursuantto E .0. 1352a 

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r.~~~-===:::::;:========~==~~~!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!i!!i!~iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiioiiiiiiii----........ ------......... ~~~~~ .... iiiiiii-

/ · - ... _ ] " REF ID :A4148~~6 

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ing machine .and we will be glad to see it later and I repeat that we 

have mapped out a certain problem and asked you for the material seven 

weeks ago and what we want, is what we have ~sked for on the first page 

or this letter and it seems to me, considering all the ciroumste.nces that 

it would be consistent for you to send it to me. 

You know that I am not very keen about glory,credit,academic 

standpoints nor official ones. I ha~ reached that place in life where 

I do that which pleases me and if I can't have thin.gs please me; I will 

try to get along without them. You know the makeup of Riverbaiik and what 

has been accomplished there. You also know the co-operation I have had, 

and the natural inference that Riverbank is not wanted and its assistance 

is not required by the l:J.1.D. What possible object. is there for·me to 

continue wasting money end time in something in which I have no interest? 

There is nothing personal about this letter,except I feel I 

should have had better action on that which I asked for. If you care for 

the results of our investigation on this Ciphe~, it will be necessary for 

~ . us to have it. I don't claim we can decipher" I don't make any claims 

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and I am not excited about anything that has been accomplished at Riverbank. As a matter or fact, they have accomplished damn little and we don't 

expect to be decorated. 

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