REPORT OF CABLE SECRETARIAT OPERATIONS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP84-00499R000600020060-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 17, 2001
• Sequence Number: 60
• Publication Date: April 7, 1967
• Content Type: MF

Approved For Release 2001/08/01 : G3LUM94-00499ROO0600020
7 April 1967
MEMORANDUM FOR: Executive Director-Comptroller
SUBJECT . Report of Cable Secretariat Operations
, Work Load
A. During the month of March 1967 we completed nearly 68, 000 items,
totalling approximately 1, 350, 000 copies. This is the greatest work load
since the Cable Secretariat was formed in 1952. In the peak month (October
1962) of the Cuban crisis, which you may recall as a very busy period, we
processed 24, 000 fewer items than we did in March 1967.
B. Our work load for the period I January - 31 March 1967 is 4%
above that of the same period in 1966 and 38% above the base period of 1963.
2. Personnel
During March we gained one person, making us seven short of our T/0.
This is but one person more on duty than we had in April 1964, yet our work
load has increased by 38%.
. General
A, In the absence of the necessary persona to meet the work load in
the Cable Secretariat, the following steps were taken in March:
(1) We discontinued the reproduction of certain non-CIA cables and
are distributing uncut teletype copies. This to me represents a reduction in
Cable Secretariat service, but saves manhours each day.
(2) We discontinued the requirement that analysts look up all
pseudonyms and cryptonyrns involving persons. We now check only key
personnel. This may on occasion cause us to miss a unit concerned but
saves us some hours of analyst time each day.
(3) We stopped summarizing recent references in cables except for
those delivered to the DCI. This too, is a reduction of service but saves
several additional hours daily of analyst labor. , , s,n moApproved For Release 2001/08/01 : Cl 0499R000 6.?{1` a$Qd606"n'
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B. For years we have searched the market unsuccessfully for a
mechanical sorter which would help us sort more efficiently a steadily
increasing number of sheets of paper in our mail room. In February
1967 we learned from Universal Business Machines that a 50-bin Keytronic
Sorter was in operation In the Department of State. We have visited State
and have seen the sorter in operation sorting airgrams and found it to be
fast, efficient, and accurate. A S0-bin sorter is too small for our opera-
tion. However, Universal Business Machines has said that they are
prepared to build a 100-bin unit. We are making a study to determine
whether we can use a Keytronic Sorter to improve the efficiency of our
mail room work and if we can, will take steps to purchase one in the near
future.
C. The Office of Communications has sent us the prelithinary analysis
of the operational requirements for the proposed Automated Communications
Terminal (ACT). This is the first draft of what eventually will be specifi-
cations for the Automated Communications Terminal (ACT). It seems to
me that we have a long way to go - years, not months - before automation
is a fact in the Cable Secretariat.
D. We are in the process of revising the format for our cable dissem-
ination requirements. The requirements will be typed on flexoline strips
and when a change is necessary only the part that has to be changed will
be retyped instead of the complete requirement. This is one more step
to reduce work. More importantly in this instance, we will improve the
usability of our requirements by providing a subject index and other
improvements.
E. On 2 March Col. Carlton and Lt. Col. Parke of Army Staffcom
visited the Cable Secretariat and had lunch with us in the Executive Dining
Room. Liaison between the two offices has been continuous and profitable
for 15 years now.
25X1A F. Copies of letters of appreciation from
Covert Action Staff are attached. These go far
owar maintaining mo. a of those actually doing the job.
G. For sometime we have been receiving incoming cables from Signal
Center?on reproducible masters and pasting headers on the masters. This
has eliminated the need for making approximately 1, 000 masters a day on
25X1A
the Xerox. We are now experimenting with Signal Center to develop a method
of receiving cables on preprinted, fan fold mats, thereby eliminating the need
for the cut and paste process. If this works, and we have every indication
that it will. incoming messages will move much faster within the Cable
Secretariat. We have a fine cooperative liaison with the Office of Communications
personnel, and it pays dividends.
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H. The Cable Secretariat Career Panel has now been functioning for 25X1A
13 years, The Panel, under guidance,, has considered or
reviewed not lees often than annually, the performance (fitness reports),
reassignment, training, and promotion potential of each person assigned
to the Cable Secretariat, During that period,, 83 persons were approved
for reassignment elsewhere within the Agency.
25X1A
Cable Secretary
Attachments
Letters of appreciation
F
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