-!!!"" 

REF ID:A67278 

91EOlllET 

TEE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF 

WASHINGTON 25, D.C. COPY 

22 March 1944. 

MEMORANDUM FOR THE ASSISTANT CHIEF OF STAFF, OPERATIONS 

DIVISION, WAR DEPARTMENT GENERAL STAFF: 

AIDE TO THE COMMANDER IN CHIEF, U.S. FLEET: 

Subject: Security in Handling Coded Messages 

Reference: (a) JCS 154th Meeting, Item A. 

Enclosure: JCS 768 (Copy Nos. 55-57). 

By reference (a), the Joint Chiefs of Staff arrived 

at the following decision which is forwarded for information: 

"Agreed to forward to the Secretary of State the 

draft executive order contained in the appendix 

to Enclosre "A" of JCS 768 with the recommendation 

that the State Department propose it for the President's 

approval." 

Copy to: Secy, WDGS 

/s/ E. D. GRAVES, JR. 

E. D. GRAVES, JR. 

Captain, U.S. Navy, Deputy Secretary. 

Declassified and approved for release by NSA on 04-08-2014 pursuantto E.O. 1352a 
'l 

8 E 0 R E 'f 

J.c.s. 768 

15 March 1944 

Pages 1-5 1 incl. 

REF ID:A67278 

JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF 

COPY NO. 56 

{LIMITED DISTRIBUTION) 

SECURITY IN HANDLING CODED MESSAGES 

References: a. J.c.s. 138/2 

'b. J.c.s. 44th Mtg., Item 2 

Memorandum from the Joint Communications Board 

1. Enclosure 11B11 was forwarded to the Joint Commun!-

cations Board as a matter of urgency for study and draft 

of a reply from the President to the Secretary of State. 

2. The Joint Communications Board has considered 

Enclosure "B" and recommends that Enclosure "A" be 

approved by the Joint Chiefs of Staff and submitted to 

the President. 
REF ID:A67278 

ENCL·l~it 11 

MEMORANDUM FOR THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE 

Subject: Security in Handling Coded Messages 

PRIVATE 

1. Thank you for your memorandum of 7 March with reference 

to security in handling coded messages in Federal agencies. I 

am entirely in agreement with your views as to the desirability of 

having a survey of the situation made, and findings and recommendations submitted. 

2. I believe, however, that the survey should be made by 

the Joint Communications Board, the sole communications supporting 

agency of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, rather than by the War Department alone. The membership of the Joint Communications Board includes both the Chief Signal Officer of the Army and the Director 

of Naval Communications. The Board has at its disposal the best 

cryptographic and communications security experts who are available. 

3. Accordingly, I am issuing an executive order, directing that 

the survey be made. A copy of the draft of the order is attached. 

4. Will you please cause to be prepared, and furnished to 

the Jbint Communications Board as soon as practicable, a list 

of the Federal agencies making use of cryptographic systems. 

-1-

Enclosure 'A" 

IEORIET 
REF ID:A67278 

81EIRIET 

APPENDIX TO ENCLOSURE 11A11 

EXECUTIVE ORDER 

SECURITY IN HANDLING CODED MESSAGES 

NO. ---

1. Whereas, it is necessary for the protection or the 

national security, and for the successful prosecution of the 

war, that communications from and to the ~~rious departments and 

agencies of the Government of the United States do not disclose, 

or become a source of, information of value to the enemy; and 

2. Whereas, the Joint Communications Board, a supporting 

agency of the Joint Chiefs of Starr, has at its disposal outstanding experts in the cryptographic aspects of communication 

security; 

3. NOW, THEREFORE, by virtue of the authority vested in me 

as President of the United States, it is ordered that: 

a. The Joint Communications Board is hereby directed to 

make a survey of all cryptographic systems and related 

procedures now in use, or proposed to be used, by any 

department o~ agency of the Government of the United States. 

The Joint Communications Board will include in the survey 

an examination or the codes, ciphers, cipher devices and 

cipher machines and equipment in use for secret or confidential communications, together will all related procedures, including methods of handling, technical employment, 

and means and equipment for physical security. 

-2-

Appendix to Enclosure "A" 

ti;$i\(( 
REF ID:A67278 

b. All departments and agencies concerned are directed1D 

cooperate fully and to give to the Joint Communications 

Board, and its designated representatives, any information 

requested, and access to any records, systems, devices, and 

equipment involved in this survey. 

£• The Joint Communications Board 1$ directed to report 

to the President, through the Joint Chiefs of Starr, its 

findings, ~nd to make suitable recommendations for the 

protection or the national security. Interim findings and 

recommendations may be ma.de, if desired. 

The White House 

March , 1944 

-3-

Appendix to Enclosure "A 11 
:reNCLOSURE "B II 

TEE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE 

WASHINGTON 

March 7, 1944 

PRIVATE 

MEMORANDUM FOR THE PRESIDENT 

Subject: Security in handling coded 

messages. 

Following our conversations last autumn regarding the Department 1 s code facilities, I immediately began a careful inquiry. Upon looking into the matter, however, I became convinced that it ~as not a problem affecting only a single agency 

but rather one in which the Government as a whole was vitally 

concerned. 

There are at present thirty-eight Federal agencies making 

use of cryptographic systems:.·in one form or another, but there 

is adequate internal control in only a few of the agencies and 

there is no over-all coord1nationa From the point of view of 

security this is a most dangerous arrangement, for serious blunders seem bound to occur which will place in jeopardy the cryptographic systems of the entire government. The present arrangement affords ideal conditions under which the enemy can break our 

codes by comparing messages containing .similar information but 

sent in different codes, one of which may already have been broken. 

It would appear, therefore, that there must be careful coordination among all agencies in the use of cryptographic material. 

Enclosure "B 11 
REF ID:A67278 

&OP.Y' I 

In addition, it is essential that the codes themselves be 

sound, that the equipment used be of the most modern types, that 

the personnel employed be skilled, and that adequate security 

procedures be followed at every step. 

I believe the most effective solution is to assign the 

War Department, which has bad the broadest experience in the 

field of cryptography, the responsibility for making a thorough 

survey of existing codes, equipment, and procedures throughout 

the Government. The War Department will then be in a position 

to present to you a comprehensive series of recommendations. 

/s/ E. R. Stettinius, Jr. 

-5-

Enclosure "B"