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• 

REF ID: A414BBB0·" 

..... "W:= 

GOS-po 

&1r.tembo r 11, 1918. 

MJ::)l)RANDW for The Chief Of !:itGffr 

"<t'". Subjects J.ha development of 2ll inO.eciphoroble 

pr1nt1n.,o-..telegraph olphor for rnili t:.:ry pul'~.l03es. 

l. !"or macy years exports in diff'or~:mt cou1~trios Ji.'.::vo bcon 

at wel'k, more. or loss oonti.l1tlously, on tln clevelo1:.~,1ant of so.:e f'or..n 

of secret talegraph aipher which could not bo dociplierod by outsid9 

at;,"l:lnoies ~!.nd t.11.ich. would, therefore, m.'ik=J possillld tho transmission 

~ tolegraph of the :nost searat ·!lOSSaf."t?S 1.uvolved in ::iilitar;y ope~ 

ations, without ar.y ohanca of these :rassagas beir.g int~Jr{;roted. 

2. A satisfa.ctory solution of the problem rn'\:35UNJOsos u 

sys tam involving the tr..;instnif;sion of 1lectdcal i:n~)ulsos ova r the 

line va1ich canr..ot be deciphorad even when intcrceptod. 

3. Jodem militacy op(i)retions have reno.hod suc:h n sc~le u.r.d 

e~tand to suoh ar.onor.nous terra~ th":lt, in tlM ~1bsence of~ suitable oipher, a very largo voluine, pf tolegraphio business ::1Ust oo 

conductod ic 90me for.n of codo. ..'ho use of this :.:ecossartJ <~odo has 

reached such a stage at .;.:rooont., in t;he different tta1Jartnu!~ts of 

war, as to inVolve 8 tro-:l3ndous umount of oxpArt labor in coding 

and cleooding thone !'!i0SS3g0s. '.l.-rrvJ delay in this rFJces!ln.l"'.f op:i1·a.-

tion is a serious roonaoo to tho pro...'Ilpt transaction 0£ :nilitnry 

busineDs. ~o far e.s is lmu.vn, all :_;rovious effort3 to obtain an 

absolutaly imlooiphorable oi-p.h.or have fni lod aven in Un hro;da of 

the most export cryptogt ... dfhors. Ir. tho conduct of a co11fliot lilro 

ti:e present war, tho largo volu..-:ia of daily business h.::s to oo coded 

and docoded c.1.nily b'Jtwoon two cor.ti:t1cnts, involvir.g grc3t exp::msa 

e.nd the sorviaes Of a larga ri~rsoT..nol. '.lot Oi1ly is this ::i. serious 

burden to tho strictly military dopartr:10nts, but n:<::ctly si:nilar 

cor.O.itio?UJ obtain in diploma.ll",y, riropn.rr,;.u~a work, :~x:.itJ.:lrtr:~:::nt of 

.JusUee 1.nvos tigationa, ~1'lret rc"'ports, nnd :nany othor activities 

of a confidential nature rec;r..iired in tho coruJ.uct of tlc •·1ar. 

4:. Jome months a.go tho ,~hief Gigr..al Officer ~Jbood this part icular problem of evolving an indooiphernblo μrintin[~t·?l'·it;:raph 

cinhar bofore so!!lo of the best tobgraph ar.'.!'in:vJrs o.f this •:::rJw1triJ 

au<l the i::ng1r..eer1ng Dopartment of the \!J:iof :,1~~.;tl OfriCi:)I"'s office 

Declassified and approved for release by NSA on 12-03-2014 pursuantto E.O. 1352a 
.: .. -.. 

REF ID:A414BBBO 

• - 2 - • 

1mdor tho c.h.:;;rga of .Yieut-anant Oolonal J. o. liauhorgne, was given 

<l.iI·aot ch.t1.l'b"O of tho davolopment, ;..-:ith instr-.ictionn to coo1J0rate, 

criticise, ar.d to place at the clisposal o:: those telagraph 0nginaers 

1Jll tlia ciph9 r lmowledge tlrn Signal {forpa poosessed. ...'his work 

•~az ur.d·.;rtal<On vignro•tnl.y by th0 ar..r;ineorine staff of too uignal. 

Oorps :.w;ll tho onginoerit~g staff of th:i American Telegraph. am l'alo-4! 

·phone Gomrany, with the cld.ed assistance o:t' thD oiphor ax:p:-1rts of 

the .iilitary Intelli,s•or..co 2.r:mch. of the General Staff, who have 

ooopfll'ntod th.ruugh.011t this dovolop:·nent. 

5. '/tm r..')sult of th.one 0f'forts has heen t:a d~welop:~nt of 

such a s;-.,.-stOC!l of oiphor ·printing-tolograpl~, ond. t.ilis system has n<D 

b\:l~n installed for official test& bctwoen the !3igr..al Corps 111boratory 

1710 .-<m.r.::wlvar.ia ,;venuo, .iuahington, v.c., ar.d 41).:.) .. ·ei:;t ~treet, liew 

ior.i<: City, «:here trainod p\11~;.;om.1.el, cor.nistir.g 'of Sigr.al Corl)s anli:Jted Tll0n, iU".} nnw op;-1~1.ting this :-p!>o:irat'.19 with entire suc~oss. 

6. '.L'it:; 1?rir.ting-t1:1l~..lgrsph, without clphor attac..limi.'l'lt~ is now 

nlr;Jatl;/ ir~.r, ta.l led in Fr:1nce 0::i:ten:; ivoly {!r.d is u.sod in tho comluo t 

of official bHsimlsS b~Jtwoen i~oc.!llqu.m·tors A. ,: • .r'. ar.d 1Jen.U.quarturs 

:;;. c:. s. in i.-'ro.nce. ar.d al::.o ont;:tf)-On J...ondor. and .. :eadcruarters s. o. s. 

direct over a oable le.id ac·c'Oss the '-.nglish ,i.'lar.":el by the Signal 

:.!orps. G::inoral .;:\.1rshing has 1'1JC.."lntl.y askl<:d for ad(:i.tior.al equi;-

ment for t'b.irty mor ~ stations to bo ir:.stalled in the inilitary tolegraph Gystem of our ovurtiaa i'orcee. 

'1. ·.ih~ ci ~Jher tipt.:rai•atus &lraaily referred to has been uoslgr.ed, 

tilureforo, as .. n addition to the existi~! r_1rinti:i::.g-tologra~1l ~ystom 

r;ow iu oporation, ani.l ii' ~1doptod and e.11provad by tho Chief of ;Jtai'i', 

cipher printir.g-~elearaph wiit~ can oo s.hip.~1ad and installed at any 

s~fation whHl'O tho pr1r:tb1g-telf1f;ra[>h is now usod. 

a. ;;;,LJ ci 'r:her app::n .. d tus' having haon devulopod in ~.he dr:i tad 

~·tates 11 ls not la·i.own to our furces ovorneas. :.n•u tho first lir:a has 

b·;mn h;.::;tallod :·or the p1.u-rio9e of dete1~ninir.g l:ihs'ther or not this 

ciph:;r is thorou.ghly rm:,ctical a.nd a<"WqaBto. for milita1•y service, to 

sup ,r~od.o the pros~mt labo !"ious ~;r.d slow rn !thods using code. 

9. rt is rncom:1omled thn t this mod.el installation now in o:-ieration uo i'il:·:odiatoly ex.;~'!lir.ecl by a co::mitt~10 of the ;}{),~oral ~;tart, 

with a viow to d.otor.nii~ing, at tho ·M1rlia2t practlo<::blo ~lor.nnt, 

'X!:nther or 1;.ot th ls ;:i1>p<:iratus shonld be riurori._s:~d antl h:s tallod :!horo 

r.nceosary, both in tlli!l country and ovnr.::oas. 

:laj or J..:1r.c rol 9 

,;hiof Sie;r.a-1 Officer of the J;r.ey. 

1 Inol.