DESTRUCTION OF CABLES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP84-00499R000700140035-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 12, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 17, 2002
• Sequence Number: 35
• Publication Date: October 11, 1950
• Content Type: MEMO

Approved For eJease 2002/08/21: CIA-RDP84-0049%W80070014004
VS E CRE T
11 October 1950
MFMCfRANDUM TO EAR
FROM: Chief, STB
SU ECT: Destruction of Cables
to postpone compliance indefinitely.
followed, and it has been found that some units of - 0S0 are. compelled -
3. Some excuse for such use of manpower would exist, were the
full requirements of security met by this procedure. The require-
are not met, however. Lists of destroyed cables received in
ments
the Signal Center are not checked against lists of cables origin
distributed. The Signal Center infoxms me that several additional
persons would be required to check these lists. Even if they were
checked and all copies were accounted for, the information contained
in the cables could have been transmitted illegally or copies made.
It is fundamentally unsound to maintain regulations that cannot be
fices the burden may become heavy, e.g., SO received 1,5 cables
in July, excluding Top Secret. STB's copy of the certificate of
destruction of cables for one month -a thirty-four-page list--is
attached as a sample of this laborious procedure.
1. Present regulations providing for destruction of cables, as
contained in Basic .Cable Procedures paragraph 4400 (SGPG No. 5 Re-
vised, dated 2 May 1950), demand so much labor and are so unproduc-
tive of the security for which they were designed, that it is be-
lieved of the highest importance to have them revised immediately.
2. Estimates just made by Staffs A, B, and C of the time re-
quired to list and destroy. cables, as prescribed in paragraph 241400
of Basic Cable Procedures, indicate that thirty seconds of an em-
ployee's time is required for each copy. Estimates made by Communi-
cations Division show that an average of 286 messages with 3,000
copies are distributed to OSO in "L" Building daily. On an average
about six copies of each message are made at stations overseas. Con-
sequently, in the course of a year 1,400,000 copies of cables must
be destroyed. At thirty seconds each, destruction of these cables
would require the full time_ of five employees. In individual of-
Approved For Release 2002708
 . Approved For 1ease 2002/08/4E ai1P84-00499Y 0700140035-7
4. It is recommended that this matter be referred to the
OSO/OPC Communication Board with request that a recommendation for
a new procedure for destruction of cables be prepared as soon as
possible. Three extra copies of this memorandum are included, which
may be distributed through Chief, Communication BeaRrx1.^DI /
,Attachment (Return. to STB)
Approved For Release 2002/0 1%4 E DP84-00499R000700140035-7
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