Trophies, prizes, awards, badges, and certificates for Marine Corps services— DETAIL CLASSIFICATION OF EXTRA COMPENSATIONS ALLOWED IN THE SERVICE. PRESIDENT'S COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED AND INSTRUCTIONS TELEGRAPH AND CABLE BUSINESS AND CIPHER CODING SYSTEMS CIRCULAR No. 28 WASHINGTON INQUIRY RELATIVE TO TELEGRAPH AND CABLE BUSINESS AND CIPHER CODING SYSTEMS. In order that complete information relative to the amount of telegraphic and cable business of the Government, the methods of handling messages and the methods of enciphering messages sent in code may be obtained, it is desired that full answers be given to the questions hereinafter set forth. A separate report is desired from each bureau, division, office, or independent establishment in Washington which handles its telegraph or cable business independently. That is, if any such office conducts its telegraph or cable business separately from other offices because of an appropriation having been made for such purpose or for any other reason, such office is to prepare a separate report in reply to these questions. If the telegraph or cable business of certain bureaus or divisions is centralized in some one office, then a consolidated report for such bureaus or divisions is to be prepared. Answers to the questions are to be submitted on ordinary lettersize paper, each answer to be numbered or lettered to correspond with the question to which it is a reply. The questions need not be inserted in the report. Except where the questions specifically request information concerning outside offices and services, they are to be interpreted as applying to the telegraph and cable business of the several bureaus and offices in Washington. All questions calling for data on number of messages, cost, and other quantities, are to be answered as of the fiscal year ended June 30, 1912. In answering the questions, it is desired that actual figures be furnished when they may be readily procured from the records; otherwise, careful estimates based upon actual count of a period sufficiently long to give reasonably accurate results may be used in place of actual figures. When such an estimate is made, that fact, together with the period during which the count was kept, should be noted in the replies. The word "telegram" as used in these questions is to be interpreted as applying only to inland messages and the word "cablegram" to transoceanic messages. 73517-13 3 In this inquiry the commission does not desire to enter into the secret methods of enciphering messages used by those offices which do much business of a confidential nature, except to find out how economical those methods may be. If any office so desires, the answers submitted by it to questions 20 to 31, inclusive, will be treated as confidential and will be inspected only by a special committee of cipher experts selected by the Secretaries of State, War, and Navy and this commission. Any department or office may, upon request, procure from the commission such number of additional copies of the questions as may be needed for distribution to subordinate offices. It is desired that the report called for herein be submitted to the President's Commission on Economy and Efficiency not later than February 10, 1913. Further information concerning any points in the questions or instructions which are not clearly understood may be obtained from Mr. W. E. Suddarth, chairman of the committee conducting the investigation, at the office of the Isthmian Canal Commission. F. A. CLEVELAND, JANUARY 15, 1913. Chairman. |