Nikola Tesla FBI Files - Page 114

offensive weapon to which there was no defense. He was convinced, he declared, of the sincerity of Mr. Chamberlin and his intent to adopt the device as it would have prevented are outbreak of the them threatening war, and would have made possible the continuation-under the duress which this weapon would make possible - of the working agreement involving France, Germany and Britain to maintain the status quo in Europe. When Chamberlin failed, at the Munich conference, to retain this state of European equilibrium it was necessary to get rid of Chamberlin and install a new Prime Minister who could make the effort to shift one corner of the triangle from Germany to Russia. Baldwin found no virtue in Tesla's plan and preemptorially ended the negotiations.

        Tesla was greatly disappointed by the collapse of his negotiations with the British Government. With it there collapsed his hopes of providing a demonstration of his most recent, and, what he considered, his most important discoveries. He did not, however, dwell on the jubject; beyond the single conversation he did not mention the matter again. He did not get another chance to finance the demonstration of these discoveries.

        During the period in which the negotiations were being carried on, Tesla declared, efforts had been made to steal the invention. His room had been entered and his papers examined but the thieves, or spies, left empty handed. There was no danger, he said, that his invention could be stolen for he had at no time committed any part of it to paper. He could trust his memory to preserve every fine detail of his investigations. This was true, he said, of all of his later major discoveries.

        The nature of his system makes little difference now; he has gone and has taken it with him. Perhaps, if there is any communication from beyond the veil that separates this life from whatever exists hereafter, Tesla may look down upon earth's struggling mortals and find some way of dropping a hint concerning what he accomplished; but, if the situation is such that this cannot take place, then we must await until the human race produces another Tesla.