711.00111 Armament Control/Military Secrets/1930
Memorandum by the Chief of the Division of Controls (Green)
I called on Mr. Edison, Assistant Secretary of the Navy, this morning and outlined to him all developments in connection with the attempt of the Soviet Government to purchase vessels of war in this country which had occurred during his recent illness.
Mr. Edison said that he believed that the opposition of some officers of the Navy Department to the proposed transactions might well lead them to create such a series of difficulties for the naval architects and the shipbuilders that the proposed transactions could never be carried out. He expressed himself strongly on the tendency of some officers of the Navy to attempt to have considered as military secrets every conceivable feature of naval vessels, their armament, and equipment. As an illustration of what he meant, he handed me a memorandum which had just been submitted by a naval officer on duty in New York protesting that permission recently granted to newspapermen to take a brief trial trip on a new destroyer had revealed such military secrets as “the name of the vessel”, “the length of the vessel”, “the displacement of the vessel”, “the fact that it carried a rack for depth charges”, etc., etc., etc. He said that the President’s wishes in regard to the construction of naval vessels for the Government of the U. S. S. R. were clear and that he considered it to be his duty to do everything possible to facilitate the proposed transactions. To that end, he intended to reduce the items classified as military secrets so that it would include only items of importance which are really secret and which should be kept secret. Furthermore, in order to prevent delays and petty attempts to make difficulties in connection with the proposed construction of destroyers and flotilla leaders, he proposed to [Page 885] appoint a board of three senior officers disposed to carry out the President’s instructions and to charge them with handling all questions relating to this matter.
Mr. Edison asked me whether I could suggest anything further which he might properly do to facilitate the proposed transaction.
I suggested that he receive Mr. Gibbs in order to learn direct from him as much as possible of the technical difficulties which had arisen or might arise in connection with the designing and construction of destroyers and flotilla leaders for the U. S. S. R.
Mr. Edison said that he would be glad to see Mr. Gibbs.
On my return to the Department, I called Mr. Gibbs by telephone, told him that I had just seen Mr. Edison, suggested that he call on Mr. Edison at his earliest convenience, and assured him that Mr. Edison would be glad to discuss matters with him.
Mr. Gibbs said that he would arrange to come to Washington to call on Mr. Edison as soon as he had had an opportunity to discuss his plans and specifications in detail with the Soviet naval mission and to learn what modifications of those plans and specifications the mission deemed necessary.