711.00111 Armament Control/Military Secrets/2036
The Secretary of State to Gibbs and Cox, Inc., New York, N. Y.
Sirs: I refer to my letter of August 2, 1939,3 and previous correspondence, in regard to the plans and specifications which you have drawn up for the construction of 1800–ton destroyers for the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.
The Acting Secretary of the Navy has now communicated to me in a letter of August 143 his comments on the revised plans and specifications you submitted. Mr. Edison declares that the Navy Department offers no objection, on the grounds of military secrecy in its relation to the national defense, to the characteristics shown in the enclosures to your letter of July 283 addressed to the Department.
In connection with paragraph (b) “General Description” of the enclosure to your letter of July 28, Mr. Edison remarks that, although the Navy Department has stated that there is no objection on the grounds of military secrecy in its relation to the national defense to the release of the quintuple torpedo tube, no preparation of plans or engineering work in connection with these tubes can be undertaken at this time on account of stress of other work of prior urgency involving the United States Navy’s own building program. Mr. Edison comments further, in connection with the same paragraph (b) of the memorandum enclosed with your letter of July 28, that the Navy Department [Page 895] offers no objection on the grounds of military secrecy in its relation to the national defense to the use of depth charge racks of the type installed on the 1200–ton destroyers of the United States Navy.
Very truly yours,
Acting Chief, Division of Controls