11 May 1962: HYDRA Roadblock

Tait’s visit revealed the complexity of communications technology in play, as well as the delicate nature of interpersonal communication as well. In this telegram, Tait explains that his meeting at the Foreign Office became a far more formal and fractious affair than he had anticipated. For one, Tait seemed to have been caught off guard by the attendance of several highly placed officials at the Foreign Office and the Diplomatic Wireless Service. Tait notes “I did not RPT not expect to see so many senior officials.” For another, Tait was also caught off guard by the opposition to routing HYDRA through the STRAD, and he was questioned whether Canadian subscribers were on board with this scheme. It was suggested that Robin, a British engineer could go to Canada to discuss the matter further.