On the Eve of the Centenary of Nikola Tesla

The great scholar of ours who has glorified our name, of Serbs and Croats throughout the world, Nikola Tesla, is by birth from the rugged Lika. He was born of Serbian parents in 1856 in the Lika village of Smiljan, in Smiljan. He attended the first grades of higher school gymnasium in Gospić, and he finished the real school in Karlovac, already showing at that time a great will for technology and various useful inventions.

In the first years he went through all the gorges of lamentation until finally he rose by himself with his genius and after many studies and difficult years of trials he decided to go to the New World, to attempt to realize his great ideas in the United States. In the end he succeeded in founding a laboratory in New York in 1887 under his own name "Electric Company Tesla".

Tesla began his schooling in the study of technology in Styrian Graz, which he finished in Prague, Czechia 1881. As a graduated engineer he served at the Telephone Company in Budapest, and later at Edison's Continental Company in Paris.

Still at school in Graz he set his remarks on the construction of the direct current motor, noticing that the motor is imperfect. The professors however did not pay much attention to his observations, considering it as a phenomenon of youthful imagination. He was making plans in perfecting the motor, but in Europe they showed little interest in Tesla's work. Thus he came to America.

In America begins his real ascent to the great scholar, because in America he could work and create independently and unhindered.

Tesla rose high in fame in the world in 1888, having then come to a great discovery, which glorified him in the scientific world as a true world wonder. He constructed a new system of transformers, a new system of motors for alternating current, which is still known today in science under the name "Tesla's current". That important invention also found fruitful application in medicine, and besides that on that principle rested the beginning of wireless telegraph and telephone, thus he was the pioneer and creator of radio telephony, because precisely in the field of application of that system one of the main problems constitutes the transmission of electrical energy over distance. The first radio station, which Tesla constructed in New York, carried out transmission over 35 kilometers, but the next one, which he built in Colorado already carried out transmission over more than 1,000 kilometers.

This is not the only invention of our Tesla in the field of electrical engineering. He enriched science with over 800 of his patents. As important Tesla discoveries it is worth mentioning: the electromagnetic isochronous oscillator, electronic tubes, theory of radioactivity, vacuum tube of high voltage, discovery of terrestrial resonance and the law on the propagation of electric current through the earth, wireless transmitter of high voltage, transmission of energy by means of stationary terrestrial waves, various types of steam and gas turbines and others. Tesla's discoveries are so important that the entire today's drive electrical engineering is based on his principle of the movement of the magnetic pole. Tesla's scientific works filled the pages of the most respected scientific journals.

As soon as this great success of Tesla about the transmission of electrical energy over distance without wires became known, some electrical engineers were found who began hurriedly working on the basis of his principles, in order to possibly convince the world public that they too have always been meritorious in that field. Among such was also the Italian Guglielmo Marconi, who, working on the principle of Tesla's discoveries, proclaimed his works in the field of wireless telegraphy as original inventions. The Italian propaganda then struck the drums, that the Italian Marconi is the only meritorious man in that field. That propaganda was so dirty and powerful, that the wide public was convinced that it was indeed the truth. But the real truth finally darkened the lie. Marconi's inflated glory began to darken a bit. Tesla's name was overshadowed. Our great scholar did not live to see even the formal satisfaction, because it was only in June 1943, just five months after Tesla's death, the Supreme Court in Washington made a decision by which Marconi's patent from 1904 is completely annulled with the explanation that that patent still did not contain any discoveries which had not already been encompassed by Nikola Tesla. This condemnation was a slap to Marconi who wanted to adorn himself with foreign feathers and to the Italian propaganda to quite high Italian state officials.

Tesla as a scholar is famous, because he is ours and as such he is an exemplary type of patriot of his native Croatia. For those reasons we also emphasize this our great mind. He lived a large part of his years outside the homeland in the foreign world, and he never forgot his native land. Contrary to his great busyness, he was keenly interested in the events in the homeland and retained great love for Lika, his native region. As our great scholar the Dubrovnikan Rudjer Bošković proudly boasted in Paris before the intellectual world of France with his Croatian and Slavic native Dubrovnik. Thus Tesla to every his fellow countryman who would visit him emphasized: "I am proud of my Serbian name and my Croatian homeland!"

The last time Tesla visited his native land was in 1892, 63 years ago, when he visited his ill mother. On that occasion he was in Zagreb and Belgrade. To pay tribute to his work and success. The Yugoslav Academy in Zagreb elected him as its corresponding member, and the Croatian University awarded him an honorary doctorate. Thus the capital of Croatia joyfully honored and celebrated its great son of Croatia.

Serbs of Croatia, and Croats as well should take example in the love and brotherhood of Serbs and Croats in Croatia, following the example of this our great man — Nikola Tesla. And if they would thus look correctly at each other as equal citizens of the Republic of Croatia equally striving for its freedom and success — to all would better and more beautiful roses bloom in the future.

This year marks 99 years from the birth of our great Tesla, and next year we will celebrate his centennial anniversary. Tesla however died at the age of 87 years in the city of New York in the year 1943. To him — Eternal glory!

On his patriotic principles, however, can only be realized a better, happier and more joyful life of Croats and Serbs of Croatia as equal citizens. Long live harmony, understanding and cooperation among them!