Well, you could assume he meant "secure" in the same sense as many of us in the industry would interpret it today and conclude that he is a dimwit. Or you could

Well, you could assume he meant "secure" in the same sense as many of us in the industry would interpret it today and conclude that he is a dimwit. Or you could read the sentence right before which gives the context for the use of the word "secure". Reading into any more than that is pure speculation.