Under Construction

Temporary Inconvenience - Permanent Improvement

Below is the actual text taken from the from the Security Handbook that was issued to Manhattan Project personnel at Los Alamos, NM.  (Provided by Michael J. Vickio; 4817th Military Police Detachment - 1944)

Security Handbook

Restricted

This handbook has been designed to provide members of the Technical Area and their families with a concise summary of existing security regulations.  It should be understood that to obey these regulations is a minimum requirement.  There is a further obligation on the part of everyone to maintain a constant and intelligent interest in the prevention and reporting of all incidents whose occurrence endangers the security of the Project.

It is a basic policy of the Project that everyone working here should know whatever is required for doing his job well.  It is, therefore, of greatest importance for each person to understand that he is in a position of trust with regard to such information, and also with regard to information which he may accidentally gain about other confidential matters.

The security regulations of the Project may be classified on the basis of preventing the dissemination of two main kinds of information:

    (a) That which might prove directly useful to the enemy, either in a technical sense, or for the purposes of sabotage.

    (b) That which, while not concerned with information directly useful to the enemy, nevertheless would break down our security status locally or nationally.

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Class (a) rules deal only with vital security matters.  The violation of rules in this class automatically entails prosecution under the Espionage Act.  They are based on the assumption that the enemy does not know the nature of this Project, so that to reveal this to any unauthorized person would be a Class (a) violation.  They are based also upon the opposite assumption, in the sense that the enemy must be supposed to know enough to give important meaning to pieces of information that might in themselves appear insignificant.  Class (b) restrictions, on the other hand, are justified as being on the whole likely to prevent leakages of information to nearby communities or the public at large, and to hinder espionage and sabotage.  Breaches of such restrictions will lead to reprimand, and to criminal prosecution only when willful or persistent violation falls within the provisions of the Espionage Act.  It must be clear that the lower rank given restrictions of this sort does not mean that they will be carelessly enforced, or that the occurrence of one violation makes another less unjustified.  The basis of the distinction is simply that these two classes of rules serve different, but connected, purposes.  It is important that all persons associated with the Project have a clear understanding of these rules and assist in carrying them out.

Obedience to all security provisions of the Project is a condition of employment, whether or not required by the Espionage Act.

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I - COMMUNICATIONS - GENERAL

    (A)  There must be no conversation outside the Technical Area, or in the presence of unauthorized persons, and no information in personnel letters, conveying any of the following kinds of information:

    (1)  The purpose of the Project

    (2)  The general problems being worked on.

    (3)  Technical data connected with 1 or 2 above.

    (4)  The scheduling or general progress of the work.

    (5)  Any overall account of the personnel employed on the Project.

    (6)  The procurement or presence here of essential materials and installations.

    (7)  The connection of this Project with any other installation elsewhere.

By "unauthorized persons" are meant those whom you do not know personally to have the permission of their group or division leaders or the director to receive the information.

A single exception to the above rule is permissible.  Discussion outside the Technical Area of classified matters is permitted, if necessary, provided extreme precautions are taken to assure the conversation cannot be overheard by any unauthorized person (in the sense of the above definition).

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