The Tesla Papers Page 3

There was much speculation in the press about Tesla having invented a "secret weapon", death ray, etc. In 1943 this was of great concern and fear that same might fall into enemy hands. This can be seen from copies of newspapers printed during that time. Records now available show that many "intelligence gathering" agencies of various government departments were intensely interested in the contents of the Tesla papers. Eventually all the Tesla property was released to SNK.

Funeral arrangements were made through the Yugoslav Information Center with the Center's public relations firm handling the details. After the funeral services at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine on Riverside Drive (the great golden doors of the Cathedral were opened for the first time for this occasion), the body was accompanied to Ferncliff Cemetery at Ardsley by Sava N. Kosanovic, Dr. and Mrs. Ivan Subasic (he was head of the Mission at the YIC), Dr. and Mrs. Boris Furlan (he was professor of economics attached to the Mission), Mr. Kenneth Swezey and Miss Charlotte Muzar. Dr. Subasic gave a brief eulogy in the cemetery chapel. Cremation took place several days later.

At dinner in New York SNK gave each of the gentlemen in the party a handkerchief with Tesla's monogram as a memento of the occasion. (The writer has a pressed rose from one of the wreaths.)

Tesla's nephew Nikola J. Trbojevich (Nicholas J. Terbo) of Detroit, Mich. could not attend the funeral due to illness. He came to New York later in the year to join the party invited to the launching of the liberty ship S. S. "Nikola Tesla" at the Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyards of Baltimore, in Fairfield, Maryland, on September 25, 1943 with Mrs. Ivan (Vlasta) Subasic doing the honors at the "christening". (Photographs available.)

After leaving the employ of the Yugoslav Information Center following SNK's resignation, I went to work for the newly organized United Committee of South Slavic Americans (for dissemination of information and publicity of the war action in Yugoslavia) brought into being by author Louis Adamic, violinist Zlatko Balokovic and other prominent Americans of South Slavic descent. Later an off-shoot organization for war relief to Yugoslavia was set up by the United Committee.

In the period between his resignation from the government-in-exile in January of 1943 and departure for London in 1944, SNK took an active part in the work of the Committee, of which he was honorary chairman. He participated in war bond rallies throughout the United States. He did this together with Zlatko Balokovic, as violinist, and Zinka Milanov, the Yugoslav diva at the Metropolitan Opera. SNK was the speaker. They were quite a trio, and most effective!

Before departure from the U. S. for London on July 25, 1944, SNK went to the Manhattan Warehouse to make arrangements and leave instructions concerning the Tesla property for which he had been paying storage from the very beginning. The same applied to Ferncliff for storage of the cremated remains. Both institutions were instructed to forward bills to the writer for payment.

While at the warehouse (his only visit there) he asked to see the Tesla property. The workmen in the warehouse told him "A bunch of guys from the FBI came at night and took a lot of pictures of the stuff."

In April 1945 I joined the Yugoslav delegation to the United Nations Organization Conference in San Francisco and from there went to work in the Yugoslav Embassy in Washington, D. C. SNK came to Washington in June of 1946 as Ambassador. Within a few months his cousin, Milica (Mica) Trbojevic, a doctor of pediatrics and sister of Nikola Trbojevich of Detroit, arrived to take over duties of hostess of the Embassy. (She and SNK were of the same age and grew up together as children.)

SNK remained in Washington until April, 1950. One of his last chores was to telephone J. Edgar Hoover, Director of the FBI, as the matter of photographing the Tesla papers nettled him. Mr. Hoover categorically denied any knowledge of the fact that the papers were photographed or that his men did such a thing. I made the call for the Ambassador and was in the room during this conversation.