https://declassified.library.utoronto.ca/files/original/fdc38838940ffdff465a492f55a95e9a.pdf 3b1c5b5d3e3ba4932995b98fd4584f61 PDF Text Text Document disclosed under the Access to Information Act Document divulge en vertu de la Loi surl’acces a /’information COPY NO. 2 OF 6 COPIES Ext. 181A OTTAWA FILE /4/3 TLetter .No.... D-.......... C/6 . No SECURITY CLASSIFICATION April 3, 1951. Date TOP SECRET FROM: THE UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE FOR EXTERNAL AFFAIRS, CANADA TO: THE CANADIAN AMBASSADOR, WASHINGTON, D.C. Reference Subject: Qur . Letter . No. of. April .2, ...... ........ U.S.. Strategic Air Command . Projects............. 1. In paragraph 6 of my letter sending you ay comments on the Pentagon draft of a communication with the Canadian Government on this subject, I said that I would explain in a separate letter how we would propose to establish a channel of communications which could function with the utmost speed and security, if required. J Copies Referred To.......... “ No. of Enclosures On those subjects for which we expect 2. . diplomatic channels to be used, communications would presumably go from the State Department to the Embassy to the Department for the Prime Minister or the Minister. I would suggest that for this purpose a special series of Rockex tapes should be set aside in the Communications Sections of the Embassy and the Department for use only for traffic on this subject. It would therefore be unnecessary to indicate by means of a prefix or special classification how messages of this sort should be handled, as there would be an agreed drill, understood by the senior communications people at both ends, and it would be laid down that any "most immediate" message sent on this special series of Rockex tapes would be delivered at once, day or night, to designated officers. As the use of the special Rockex tapes would immediately indicate the subject, it would be unnecessary to specify in the text of the message the exact subject of such consultation, which could therefore be to some extent camouflaged. 3. Post File No Under this procedure, only Messrs. Belanger, Daley, and O’Neil would have access to the special tapes at this end, and presumably Mr. Meagher and one or two others at your end. 4. It seems to me that some such procedure would meet the obvious requirements for speed and security to the best advantage, as both the Prime Minister and Mr. Pearson have their offices in the East Block where your teletype circuit terminates. ../2 00464 �Document disclosed under the Access to Information Act ■ Document divulge en vertu de la Loi surl’acces a /’information - 2 - » I If you agree, I think we should put the 5. procedure into effect on a standby basis at once. When.we have concluded the proposed agreement with the U.S. Government, by an Exchange of Notes, we may have to modify our procedure, but, for the time being, I propose to instruct Messrs. Belanger, Daley, and O’Neil to arrange among themselves for one or other of them to be on call every night. This will mean that before closing down the teletype circuit to Washington, whoever is on duty for this purpose at this end will send his name and telephone*’number to Meagher. You'will presumably have to arrange for one of your communication people to be on call every night in the same way. Then, if the State Department wished to communicate with us on this subject, they could call the Embassy where the watchman could call the duty communications man who could alert either Belanger, Daley, or O’Neil by telephone, come into the Embassy, and send the message on one of the special tapes without delay. It would then be up to our communications people to get the message immediately to one or other of half a dozen designated Officers in the Department. 6. I shall postpone taking any action on this procedure until I have your comments, particularly as to whether you think it is necessary in present circumstances. I 7. Incidentally, I did not mention the point in my earlier letter telling you of the views of Ministers on the Pentagon draft because they did not raise the point, but it might be worthwhile reminding ourselves and those in the Pentagon concerned with the redraft that the "basic law” concerning channels of communications between the U.S. and Canadian Governments on defence matters is the Appendix No. 3 of the Journal of the Permanent Joint Board on Defence for June 3 and 4, 1948. The procedure agreed at that time, and subsequently approved by both Governments, laid down that the Department of External Affairs-State Department channel should be used whenever the subject matter: involves the determination of Government policy, or any significant modification or extension of proposed U.S. projects or exercises in Canada, or Canadian-United States projects. You may wish to refer to this agreement in support of our general contention that diplomatic channels should be used in those cases specified in my earlier letter. (elnyp ESCOTT REID Under-Secretary of State, for External Affairs. •j 00465 �Document disclosed under the Access to Information Act - Document divulg en vertu de la Loi surl’accs a ‘information ■ 00466 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource CDNW (Wiser) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource CDNW16637 Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CDNW16637 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Wiser Consultations, RG25-B-2, Volume number: 3094, Library and Archives Canada.