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18 _ _._ 
• 

William F. Friedman 

Civilian Personnel Division 

-Armed Forces Security Agency Washington 25, D.C. 

Dear Mr. Friedman: 

REF ID:A70099 • Burton, Ohio 

Feb. 22, 1951 

Within the past two weeks, I have had an exchange of correspon- dence with Miss Frieda L. N1emzyk, ot Milwaukee, Wisconsin, during the course or which she asked me to send you her name and 

background in the hopes that she m8J' be of some service to the 

AFSA in the future. Instead of trying to interpret her summary, I'll quote from her original communications: 

"Cryptography has been my favorite hobby tor more than 25 years. I have studied every text (in three languages) I could obtain, 

including more than your Association handles. My interests lie 

chiefly in the invention ot new ciphers and cipher devices -- position ciphers and workable digraphic and trigraphic systems. 

"Since before Pearl Harbor, I have filed the results of my research in cryptography with the FBI. My latest piece of work was 

sent to the Bureau on January 16, 1951. Naturally, I am not per- mitted to discuss the details of any cryptographic systems or 

devices filed with the FBI. Suffice it to say that in 1942 I 

was offered a position in the Technical Laboratory of the Bureau 

by Director John Edgar Hoover, although prior to that time I 

understand women were barred from scientific positions in the 

Laboratory. Unfortunately, I could not accept his offer because 

of heavy family responsibilities, and therefore cannot leave 

this city. Howeger, I have continued to contribute work on a 

volunteer basis. 

"I have seriously studied foreign languages from a cryptanalytic 

viewpoint, in quiet preparation for possible future service -- tb the extent that after 9 years ot study, I now read 14 European languages (besides English) sufficiently well to do cryptanalysis in them. Of these, I can get along in 6 without a dictionary constantly at my elbow. (In addition, I estimate I have a smattering of at least 300 words in each of 5 Asiatic languages, enough to 

give me an idea ot what language I am dealing with in a cryptogram involving any of them. 

"For several years I have been a member of the translating staff of 

the International Institute of Milwaukee County and have been told 

that I am their only translator of the various Dutch dialects, including Afrikaans. 

"I have taught elementary cryptography to a very few, carefully screened persons. As I mentioned above, family conditions still 

prevent my leaving Milwaukee, but I could commute to nearby cities such as Chicago or Madison if necessary. I do not work on 

Saturdays or Sundays, and could take on a class or two very nicely -- it some way can be found to utilize my services." 

(end of initial contact. 
,. 

w. F. Friedman 2. REF ID:A70099 

11 In the last war, the University of Wisconsin at 

• Madison held a 

communications school for Waves and other naval personnel. There 

is an extension division of the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. Marquette University, which has a strong ROTC program, is also located in this city. 

11 In Chicago, there are Northwestern University and the University ofChicago. The Great Lakes Vaval Training Station and Fort 

Sheridan lie between Milwaukee and Chicago. And the cities of 

Milwaukee and Racine are being considered as possible homes for 

the proposed Air Force Academy. 

11 I would be interested in a full-time teaching position in the 

Air Force Academy, if either the Milwaukee or Racine location 

is decided upon~ 

11 These are the foreign languages with which I am familiar; they 

are grouped in order of reading proficiency: 

I. German 

Dutch 

Afrikaans 

II. 

v. 

French 

Portuguese 

Danish 

Spanish 

Turkish 

III. Swedish 

Norwegian 

Icelandic 

Italian 

IV. Luxembourg (N.B. Of the languages in 

Russian 

Roumanian Malay group V, I have only an 

Hindustani estimated 300 to 500 

Arabic words in each.) 

Chinese 

Japanese 

( 

"I was lucky enough to crack a Russian cipher communication in 

1949 that announced the explosion of the first Russian A-bomb 

to agents in this country. And I'm not flattering myself that it 

\\ 

was anything except pure luck. I was working on sever§l innocentappearing classified advertisements in newspapers tha"fi,employed jargon code expressions. A certain Jargon code expression (one of 

\ those which figured heavilf in the letters introduced as evidence 

' in the Canadian spy trials) caught my eye. But it was not until 

\ 

j 

'\ 

·i subsequent events made plain that the date and time referred to 

''en claire" in the ad corresponded to the time ot explosion ot the J Russian bomb, that the rest of the message tell into place. 

"Besides the jargon code, a cleverly worked out system ot transos1 t1on b onetic s llables (evidently according to a numerical 

ey was concealed in t e a • Placed in proper order and pronounced alou~, the syllables made very good sense in Russian, tor they announC'ed 11An explosion - not dynamitel" Allowing for the difference 

in time between Siberia and America, date and time checked with the 

President's announcement of the Russian A-bomb explosion and seismographic evidence of an earth tremor. 

"(Please do not mention the above unless to someone in the Armed Forces Security Agency,. 

• • • • • • • , "Getting back to my otter to teach cryptography'. I can make a reliable cipher clerk out of suitable students in 10 weeks, with only 
.• 

w. F. Friedman -- 3 • REF ID:A70099 

2 hours of instruction per week. I am prepared to 

• 

use any text, and 

wouid of course supplement the formal course with information 

gleaned the hard way by me over many years. 

"I also have definite ideas about preparing students f'or work under 

battle conditions, which I think would interest Washington. 

"A course in the basic principles of cryptanalysis would take an 

estimated minimum of 16 weeks longer. A student graduating from 

both courses would be a Junior cryptanalyst, well-equipped to 

handle the routine procedures involved in a Black Chamber as the 

assistant of an expert analyst, but also capable of working on his 

own, if need be. He would lack only the •sixth sense• and 'feel' 

for cryptanalysis that comes as a result of years of experience.• 

The above information is sent for what it ls worth to you and your department, as it ls seldom that we of the association run across 

someone with such a complete background as she says she possesses. 

Sincerely.Yours, I "" 6i\ /) / / f7,f ,(' , ti, ,· I..';. /l... IJ.f;//IA_ ~ 

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William GI Bryan : 
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------------------------

e REF ID:A70099 • 

424 North George Mason Drive, 

Arlington 3, Virginia, 

1 J!arch 19Sl. 

Dear l!'r. !)oyan: 

'!hank 1'011 for your letter or 20 February, forwarding the 

letter from a ~T. Brighton P. Slutea. It you wieh to answer his 

letter you could tell him that you are unable to throw a117 liy)lt 

on hie inquir7 but that he might get some help by writin~ to me, 

giving him my addrees. Far your OY·'D information I'll say that. 

his memory is playine some tricks on him - there ian•t. to "tq 

knowledge, a book er article such a.s he describes in his 2d parap,raph. But I•d not mind hearing £ran him - maybe I can learn 

somethingl 

Your interest in f orwa.rdinr, the extracts from Hiss r~m!ZYK•s letters to you is much appreciated but at the moment 

I•m inclined to think it wise not to accept her ofter ot aaaiatance, for reasons which I think will be obvious to you. It she 

were ablo or willing to come to 't~aahington, we might be interested, 

but I see no "W or cooperating at a distance, as she proposes. 

'!hanking you again cind vdth kind regards, I am, 

Sincerely youre, 

lfr. , .. ill:Jam G. !.~, 

Burton, 

Ohio. 
William F. Friedman 

424 North MaBon Drive 

Arlington, Va. 

Dear Mr. Friedman: 

REF ID:A70099. 

Burton, Ohio 

February 20, 1951 

The enclosed letter which I received this morning, is seltexplanatory; but I am sending it to you either for your file 

on this subject, or in the hopes that perhaps you can throw 

a bit of light on this chap's dilemma. 

There are very few if any members of our association, who have 

delved into any sort ot lore about the Bacon1an-Shakeepeare 

theory, but the quotation embodied in this communication may 

be of interest to you, unless you are aware of the source already. 

Sincerely Yours, _ ,,... /""' 

1,1 I , ,/ 1 , f·'."'.r}../';~ /J"~V../:/..,A'./:.NJ --<' - ·~,...,f 

William G. Bryan 
.. COPY 

• ; 

Mr. William G. Bryan 

Burton, Ohio 

Dear Mr. Bryan: 

February 19, 1951 

Mr. Calvin Cudney gave me your name in connection with the 

American Cry~togram Assoc1at1on, and I am writing you 1n the 

hope that you may be of some assistance in clearing up a matter 

that bas been puzzling me tor some years. 

I served 1n the First World War and a tew years after its termination I read a book or a magazine article written by the head 

of the War Department Office devoted to breaking the codes ot 

the German spies who were operating in this countr7 during the 

period of hostilities. I do not recall the author. The acoount 

covered surveillance ot German spies in this country and Mexico. 

The author further stated that he made a trip to England during the progress ot the War and called at the American Embassy. I believe that Walter Hines Page was then our Ambassador to England. The author asked the Ambassador tor his copy ot the American Code 

Book and he was shocked when the Ambassador told one otthe British 

employees of the Embassy to go to the safe and bring him the Code 

Book. 

During this visit to England, the author then recounts that he was 

invited to spend a weekend in the home ot a Briton whose library contained a volume ot Francis Bacon's coded diary. The host, knowing the writer's interest in codes, showed him the diary. The American 

leafed through the diary and broke down the code of the following: "Last night I completed another play and I must arrange for 1ts 

delivery to Master Shakespeare." The American writer prefaced this 

quotation by stating substantially, "While I have no desire to become involved in the Bacon-Shakespeare controversy, I decoded a 

portion of the Bacon Diary and it read as follows." Then comes the 

quotation above. 

I thought I had read this thing in a book by Yardley ~alled The 

American Black Chamber. In carefully rereading this book of Yardley's I failed to find any reference to it. I have explored many sources 

to try to run down this article or book. I wrote to Francis Bolton 

and asked her to have one of her staff question the War Department about the matter and to see if there were any individuals still employed in the Code Department of the Government that were 1n this 

same department during the First World War, and who might know the 

individual that produced the article in question. I f)lrther asked 

the Historical Department of the Saturday Evening Post. I have co.bed 

through the Cleveland Library. I referred the matter to the BobbsMerrill Co. of Indianapolis, who were the publishers of Yardley's books. 
• 

.. COPY -- 2 • REF ID:A70099 

. • ..: ' 

My interest in t17ing to find someone who Itr•owa where I read this article 

stems from about three years ago, at which time I was introduced 

by correspondence to a Kiss Paulint Holmes, who is an American and 

a member ot the Bacon1an Soclet7. I assumed, of course, that she was 

tam1liar with this article and asked her about it. Contrary to 11f1 

expectations, she had never heard ot this reference to Bacon as 

the author of the Works of Shakespeare, and she was greatl1 excited 

when I wrote her of the above incident. Mias Hol•s has made some 

strong efforts to locate this quotation, but without success. It 

was only bJ happenstance that I learned of Calvin Oudne1 1s activities during the second war and when.I propounded the question to him 

he stated that you might well be acquainted with the article, or 7ou 

would posslbl7 know some veteran of the Coding Department of the Government who in turn would recall the name of a colleague who had written 

that which I read. 

It you can be of an7 assistance, I shall be ve27 grateful, indeed. 

Yours ver7 truly, 

Brighton P. Slutes 

~tA ~~A-. 

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