The Hereford Brand (Hereford, Tex.), Vol. 48, No. 52, Ed. 1 Thursday, December 23, 1948 Page: 2 of 48
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CHRISTRIHS
*■
GREETII1GS
from . .
the Office of
Sheriff and Tax Collector
Worth Covington
Ruth Loerwald
S. B. Berry
J. C. Reese
siw
(WE WRAP
OUR
CHRISTMAS
WISH
IH SMILES.
PARKER BROS.
PLANING MILL
GoveruneBi Cryptographers Gel Bad^Hi^Sewisg^ciub
Shock When They Learn Codes Takes
By CLARKE BEACH
AuociaUd Prau Staff Writer
WASHINGTON—Government cry-
ptographers got a bad jolt when
they learned that decoded messages
had been taken from the State De-
partment files In 1187 and 1858 for
delivery to Russian agents.
The microfilmed documents which
Whittaker Chambers hid in a pump-
kin on his Maryland farm and then
turned over to the House Un-Ameri-
can Activities Committee might have
furnished priceless clues to foreign
code experts.
Coded messages sent by radio or
cable are easily intercepted by
interested governments. H they can
possession of the same messages
decoded, they can go a long way
toward breaking an entire code sys-
tem.
One or even several messages may
not do it. A great many roust usually
be obtained and over a long period
of time. For codes are frequently
alternated—hourly, daily, monthly or
yearly.
But any decoded message might
fill in the final gap in a code-break-
ing job which might have been go-
ing on for years.
Breaking American codes / would
have been much easier before the
war than now. Early in the war the
State Department and armed
services began to make a widespread
use of code machines. With these a
great many more code systems can
be employed, and they can be
changed more frequently.
Cryptographic War
Code making and code breaking
is an age-old war between crypto-
graphers and cryptoanalysts. The
former devise the codes, and the
latter try to break them.
American cryptoanalysts achieved
a gigantic victory when they broke
the Japanese and German codes be-
fore the last war. What they had
done was revealed in the Congress-
ional Pearl Harbor investigation in
19*5.
After years of arduous effort they
devised a machine which decoded
(messages that might have lost the
war for the Japanese. Next to the
atomic bomb project it was perhaps
the most secret operation of the war.
With the machine our government
learned of Japanese preparations for
the attack on Pearl Harbor and facts
about Jap naval activities which led
to our victories in the Coral Sea and
at Midway. It directed U. S. subs in
attacks on Jap convoys. It revealed
the messages from the Japanese Am-
bassador in Berlin, sometimes telling
what Hitler had said of his war
plans.
Japs Didn't Change Code
The Japanese didn't change their
code all during the' war. It would
have been difficult for them to do
so because of the complexity of their
language.
Whatever might have been learned
of the American codes through the
Chambers documents would have
attached to or identified with the
same message decoded. For highly
secret messages, the code is as com-
plex as possible, requiring' the solu-
tion of a whole- series at ciphers or
codes before the message can be
read in the clear.
Personnel Screened Carefully
Personnel in code rooms are the
most carefully screened of any. And
great effort is made to keep the
personnel turnover as low as pos-
sible. The Staff is well paid and
well cared for.
A large number of systems are
employed. Some are simple, when
the intention is only to temporarily
prevent the general public from
learning the content of a message.
Some of the most Important are one-
benefited a foreign power only for
a limited time, since even then we
changed our code system at inter-
val.
Infinite precautions, moreover, are
taken to keep coded messages sec-
ret A first principle is never to
let a copy of the code messages be
time codes, understood by only a few
persons and never used but once.
Practically any code can be brok-
cn, says the experts, if you have
enough time and a large enough
staff. But it isn’t practicable when
codes are being changed frequently.
Also there are only a limited number
of experts who can be put to work
on any one problem.
Some cryptographic writings, like
those of Roger Bacon, thirteenth cen-
tury philosopher, have never been
deciphered.
The experts distinguish between
code and cipher writings. Code
writing, strictly speaking, is based on
handbooks containing words or
letter groupings which have hidden
meanings. Ciphers are devices by
which hidden meanings are express-
ed in a plain text or a meaningless
jumble of lettefc or figures.
The machines now in use—of
which scores have been patented—
are based on both systems. Like cal-
culating machines, they do the job
quicker and more accurately than
people could do with pencil and
paper.
The Navy makes wide use of code
books—bound in lead so that they
sink when the ship is captured or
sunk. .Armies in the field prefer ci-
phers, since the key is in the oper-
ators’s mind and cannot fall into the
enemy's hands. Higher headquarters
however, use code books or machines.
Code messages are also widely
used in finance and trade, primarily
because code words save space and
money in wire and radio transmis-
sion. Most of them are based on
code books In general circulation.
Some companies, however, have
cryptographers devise special codes
for them. They pay as much as J100,-
090 for one code system.
The annual Christmas party
for the Elite Sewing Club was
held In the home of Mrs. W. M.
Stovall on Thursday December
i8. . , ,.....
Officers elected for the coming
year include Mrs. Noah Ewton,
president; Mrs. Tom Alderson,
vice-president; and Mrs. SI Orr,
secretary-treasurer.
Gifts were exchanged from a
decorated tree and Christmas
corsages were given as plate
favors.
Refreshments' were served to
Mesdames A. B. Christian, Mary
Seigler, J. <X Cummings, Si Orr,
George Muse, Frank Terrell,
Henry Williamson, E. E. Fridley,
Noah Ewton, Claude Ricketts,
Tom Alderson, J. O. Newell, J. W,
Thomas and the hostess.
*
Sewing Club
Holds Party
Mr. and Mrs. J. T: Rose Celebrate
60th. Wedding Anniversary Sunday
Mr. and Mrs. Rose are the only
Mr. and Mrs. J. T. Rose who
moved to Hereford last July,
celebrated their 60th wedding
anniversary Sunday, December
19, in McAdoo where they had
lived for 31 years before coming
to Hereford.
They were accompanied by
their only son, Austin, his wife
and their daughter, Joyce, to
McAdoo Sunday and the cele-
bration was held in the Baptist
Church they helped organize,
and was sponsored by the Wom-
an’s Missionary Union which
organization Mrs. Rose aided in
forming.
They are the only liv-
Jolly Workers Sewing Club
met in the home of Mrs. Roy
Boyd Thursday afternoon for
holiday party, with Christmas
greens and red candles used In
decorations.
A musical program was pre
sented and sunshine friends
were revealed when gifts were
presented.
Those present were Mesdames
Barney Bocock, Travis Caraway.
Ray Suit, J. W. Terry, Wes Brad
ly, S. S. Williams, Elton Brooks,
Clay Angelo, Charles Calloway,
and the hostess.
-o-
CARD OF THANKS
We wish to thank the friends
of this community for their help
and sympathy, also floral of-
ferings during the recent illness
ann death of our father and
brother, H. T. Campsey.
B. C. Campsey and family
J. W. Campsey and family
J. F. Steriens and family
O. D. Graham and family
G. P. Owen Jr. of Hardin-Sim-
mons in Abilene came home
Tuesday night to spenfl the holi-
days with his parents, Mr. and
Mrs. G. P. Owen. He was ac-
companied by three classmates,
Rex Lee, Ray Adkins and John
Petrie who are here for the Lee-
Tucker wedding as well as the
holidays. Mr .and Mrs. Gwynne
Owen and son of Littlefield will
also spend the holidays with the
Owens here.
As the years roll by
we realize mare and more
how much it means to have
the confidence of folks like you.
It is a pleasure to wish you
*
a Merry Christmas.
’V iw
OSCAR EASLEY
ing charter members of the
living charter members of the
church and friends and rela-
tives for miles around gather-
ed to congratulate the couple
with approximatly 100 guests
registering.
Mr. Rose at 86 has retired
from active work but he has
been a farmer all his life, oper-
ating frams in Hill County where
the couple was married. Mrs.
Rose Is 79 and they both are able
to maintain their home and still
to go to church. They have only
the one son, but have 8 grand-
children and 10 great-grandchil-
dren.
To Our Multitude of Friends
And Patrons We Send,
A Multitude Of
3 CTal
X
\oy
NO-1948'
OtJR TRADITIONAL
WISH FOR YOU
IS ONE OF
JOY-FILLED DAYS
DURING THIS
HOLIDAY SEASON.
It is our wish that dew joys not knowi
before may' come to you and yours
abide with you all through! the comi:
year. s
Sid
BARCLAY
Grant
FULLER
Bill
PHIPPS
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The Hereford Brand (Hereford, Tex.), Vol. 48, No. 52, Ed. 1 Thursday, December 23, 1948, newspaper, December 23, 1948; Hereford, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth721418/m1/2/: accessed March 28, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Deaf Smith County Library.