EXTRACT FROM: R.I.P. No. 98, Copyl (Origi.nal),, dated 5April1943,, 

page 117. 

e6Nfi'f BEiN 'HM. 

Op-20-G/jac CGA 3/26/42. (~C)A7-l/QM The Bobbs-Merrill Co. 

Serial 0304620 March 28, 1942 

MY dear Mr. Secretary: 

Receipt of your letter FE 894. 727/48 

of March 19, 1942, regarding authorization 

for publication of the book entitled, 

"The American Black Chamber," is acknowledged. 

The Navy Department has consistently maintained the attitude that every e.ffort 

should be made to conceal from general 

knowledge the results o.f our cryptanalytic al 

operations. 

It is considered that republishing 

such a book as "The American Black Chamber" 

would only serve to stir up curiosity regarding present activities and thereby 

work contrary to our security aims. 

Sincerely yours, 

James forrestal 

Acting 

GONFlBENtb\l; 

Declassified and approved for release by NSA on 05-14-2014 pursuantto E.O. 1352a 
REF ID:A6648. 

EXTRACT FROM: R.I.P. No. 98, Copy 1 (Original), dated 5 April 1943, 

PP• 118-123. 

2. The Friedman Publicitl· 

Widespread interest in the romantic stories of beautiful female spies, 

secret codes and ciphers which Yardley had told caused editors from this 

time on to become keenly conscious of the news val.ue of such stories. Consequently, when in 1934 magazine and newspaper accounts broke ooncern:ing 

Mrs. Elizabeth Smith Friedman, a Coast Guard cryptanalyst, a number of 

similar incidents followed: 

1. ~ch, 1934 (American Magazine, Vol. 117:47) 

Publication or Mrs. Friedman's picutre with a caption which 

indicated her connection with the Coast Guard as a cryptanalyst, and 

also told or her husbl),nd' s profession. 

2. April 23, 1934 (Washington Post) 

An article on Mrs. Friedman discussed her comments on the famous 

Bacon cipher. It went on to mention her Coast Guard activities in 

cryptanalysis, and spoke of her husband who performed work of a similar 

nature with the Army Signal Corps. 

3. May 25, 1934 (Radio Broadcast) 

Mrs. Friedman was interViewed on the radio at 2:00 p.m. and 

discussed her duties as head of the Cryptanalytica.l Bureau in the 

Coast Guard. She was identified as tre wife of Major William Friedman, 

Chief of the Signal Corps Intelligence Service in the War Department, 

who was in charge of mili ta:ey codes and communications. 

4. May 26, 1934. (Washington Post) 

A news item gave the details of the above broadcast. 

5. June 3, 1934 (Washington Post) 

Mrs. Friedman's picillre was displayed in the Sunday edition 

with a caption explaining her cryptanalytical duties. 

6. June 30, 1934 (Seattle Daily Times) 

An articl.e emphasizing that Mrs. Friedman was woman cryptanalyst. 

"Mrs. Friedman was her husband• s assistant during the World War and 

helped decode secret military ciphers." 
e. REF ID:A664Bft 

1. July 221 1934 (Washington Sunday Star) 

The picture or Mrs. Friedman illustrated an article in which 

the details of the r amous "I 1 m Alone" case were given. This was one 

or the boot-legging cases .wh:i.ch were solved by deciphering the codes 

of the smugglers. 

Some of these stories reached the public because Mrs. Friedman had 

1:D testify in court as to the method by which evidence was obtained. 

Naturally, she had to divul.ge certain secret details, which were then 

no longer secret. This is one of the reasons why the use or police 

agencies in cryptanalysis is dangU'ous. Conviction of a criminal demands 

proo.f1 and though giving testimony concerning success in a certain instance 

may obtain conviction, it will al.so jeopardize the source for future reference. To publicize a deciphering success in mili ta:cy or diplomatic work 

is to dry up the cource of informati.on for a long time. 

Frnm 1934 to 1937 the Friedmans remained unmolested in seclusion, 

but in 1937 another series of accounts describing their work began: 

8. ~nuary 4,, 1937 (Sunday Star) 

This sensational article described Major Friedman's solutU>n of 

a code which had been sent by Hindus, who were arranging a mutiny in 

India. He had to testify in the trial which ended April 23, 19281 when 

one of' the conspirators,, Ram Chandra, Wli-S shot by another,, Ram Singh. 

However, the background materia1 of this article told of the activities 

of Colonel George Fabyan, who had lent the services of the 20 staff 

members of his Riverbank Laboratory at Geneva, Illinois 1:D the government 

during 1916 and 191.7. In 1918 they were brought to Washington with all 

their data and records, and Major Friedman disclosed that he had been one 

of this group. 

9. June 5, 1937 (Washington Star) 

An article and picture of Mrs. Friedman identified her as a 

cryptanalyst and as wife o.f the Chie.f of Signal Intelligence Service of 

the Army. 

10. August, 1937 (American Legion Magazine) 

An articl.e 11Codes-Fact and Fallacy" described in detail some of 

the activities of Mr. and Mrs. Friedman. 

2 
REF ID:A6648. 

11. September, 1937 (Reader's Digest} 

This magazine, which reaches millions of readers throughout the 

world, reprinted the American Legion Magazine article. 

12. Circa September 1, 1937 (Washington Evening Star) 

A reader inquired as to the activities of Colonel W. Friedman, 

and he was infonned that he was a cryptanalyst. 

13. September 12, 1937 (Syndicated News Article) 

This article, which was furnished to many newspai;ers, stressed 

the secrecy of Mr. Friedman' s work. 

11Vis1 tors are barred from the rooms in the squat 

munitions building where the work is actually done. 

And the size of Friedman's staff is kept secret. 11 

14. October 7, 1937 (Washington Evening Star} 

A reader asked the name of a woman cryptanalytical expert, and 

the reply was 11Mrs. Friedman." There was also an article about her in 

Modern Mechanics about this time. 

15. February 9, 1938 (Washington Post) 

A picture of Mrs. Friedman and a news item, which told of her 

part in the conviction of five Vancouver Chinese on the charge of 

smuggling opium, were publ.ished. She had been loaned ta the Canadian 

government for this purpose. 

16. February 10, 1938 (Washington Herald) 

A picture of Mrs. Friedman, and a long art.i.cle on the Chinese 

dope smuggling ring were f'eatured. 

17. February 15, 1938 (Look Magazine) 

A picture of' Mrs. Friedman, and a caption describing her mrlc 

were published. 

ia. February 21, 1938 (Washington Post) 

Mrs. Friedman was mentioned in Alice Hughes' column as a 

cryptanalyst. 

19. November 23, 1939 (Washington Times-Herald) 

In an article on "Queer Federal Jobs" by Jerry Klutz, Mr. and 

Mrs. w. F. Friedman irere described as cryptanalysts: 

3 
REF ID:A6648. 

0Mr. Friedman is Chief of the Signal Intelligence 

Section of liar's "War Plans and Training Division, 11 and 

his wife Elizabeth S. is the Coast Guard's cr,yptanalyst. 

Navy al.so has a cryptanaJ.yst. And, oddly enough, 

it is a woman, Agnes M. Driscoll. She not only deciphers 

codes in foreign languagesf out teaches naval officers 

the secrets of her profession. ri 

20. October 3, 19Ll (Washington Star) 

This story told of Colonel William Friedman's interest in the 

Poe ciphers, and pointed out that he was Chief' Signal Officer in the 

War Department. (Colonel Friedman has never been Chief Signal 

Officer-Ed.) 

Undoubtedly, there were many other items similar to these publ.ished 

throughout th3 country. No informed observer in Washington could escape 

knowing who the principal cryptanaJ.ysts of the Army and the Coast Guard 

were. Publicity of this nature was particularly unfortunate in that 

Yardley• s oook had provided a perfect cover for wrk of this nature. It 

will be recalled that the former head of the United States cryptographic 

bureau had vented his wrath on Secretary Stimson for abolishing his unit. 

Ostensibly then, there was no more cryptanalysis of other nation •s codes 

going on in Washington. But revelations of the activities of the 

Friedmans could lead to only one conclusion on the part of espionage 

agents -- decryption of other nation's codes was in progress behind the 

scenes. 

It may be pointed out that these publicity leaks did not divulge any 

diplomatic secrets, but it must be remembered that incidents of this kind 

were certainly enough to make every potential enemy agent in Washmgton 

much more cautious aoout communication security. These security measures 

w.i.11 be discussed later. 

4