Nikola Tesla FBI Files - Page 107

1 T Mr. Clarence Kelly Director F.B.I. Washington, DC April 20, 1976 (6)(1)(W) INFORMATION CONTAINED TERFIN 13 UNCLASSIFIED DATE 2-3-80 BY $4 Effpryfste Dear Mr. Kelly: Mr. Allen and Mr. Ruchlehaus, former acting Director of the FBI, contacted me in 1973 regarding the unavailability of American microfilm records of Nikola Tesla's unpublished diary (now in the Belgrade museum, arranged by month per folder). At the time I discounted the possibility that these unpublished discoveries had military significance. But because of experiments now under way at Hill AFB, I now suspect such military applications exist and feel it imperative that you be notified, particularly in view of the fact that the Soviets have primary access to the entire collection. (8 4/31/?] Two photos of each page exist. After Tesla's death, scientists from the Navy and OSS performed a cursory examination of the diary and notes, which if my memory serves me correctly, was one month long, hardly enough time to decipher Tesla's torturous handwriting. Though Tesla wrote in English, his penmanship was small, blurred, and as difficult to translate as a foreign language. According to the museum director (1971), the Soviets had made copies of some portions, but not the Colorado Springs diary, which numbers 500 pages, 20 that directly pertain to ball lightning, and 20 or so relevant to the equipment construction. (We copied the most significant portions, but feel more exists) FX-115 REC-52/00 - 2237– +29 ca s an article magazine, EDN (an electrical engineering magazine), but only with the very recent receipt, of an unpublished manuscript from John J. O'Neill's book (PRODIGAL GENIUS) did I place credence on Tesla's later claim Y 8 1976 to military applications. Incidentally, some of O'Neill's descriptions were inaccurate and exagerated, as we have exceeded Tesla's results and are familiar with the experiments. rate, there are three possible military applications. At any CO... 109