Nikola Tesla FBI Files - Page 151

THE MISSING PAPERS →→→→ 278 examined the files with Dr. Trump. The Navy has no record of Tesla's papers; no federal archives have a record of them. Curiously, four months after the photostats had been sent to Wright Field, Col. Ralph Doty, the chief of Military Intelligence in Washington wrote James Markham of Alien Property indicating that they had never been received: “"This office is in receipt of a communication from Headquarters, Air Technical Service Command, Wright Field, requesting that we ascertain the whereabouts of the files of the late scientist, Dr. Nichola [sic] Tesla, which may contain data of great value to the above Headquarters. It has been indicated that your office might have these files in custody. If this is true, we would like to request your consent for a representative of the Air Technical Service Com mand to review them. In view of the extreme importance of these files to the above command, we would like to request that we be advised of any attempt by any other agency to obtain them. (Italics supplied.) "Because of the urgency of this matter, this communication will be delivered to you by a Liaison Officer of this office in the hope of expediting the solicited information." The "other" agency that had the files, or should have had them, was the Air Technical Service Command itself! Colonel Doty's letter, which was classified under the Espionage Act, was declassiñad on May 8, 1980. This embarrassing contretemps goes unexplained in the records. Perhaps it was handled orally with the Liaison Officer. However, on October 24, 1947, David L. Bazelon, assistant attomey general and director of the Office of Allen Property, wrote to the commanding officer of the Air Technical Service Command, Wright Field, Dayton, Ohio, regarding the Tesla photostats that had been sent by registered mail on or about September 11, 1945, to Colonel Holliday, at the latter's request. "Our records do not reveal that this material has been w turned," said Bazelon. He sent a description and asked that it be returned. Obviously at least one set of Tesla's papers had reached Wright Fleid because on November 25, 1947, there was a response to the Office of Alien Property from Colonel Duffy, chief of the Electronic Plans Section, Electronic Subdivision, Engineering Division, Air Maliriel Command, Wright Field. He replied: "These reports are now in the possession of the Electronic Subdivision and are being evaluated.... He believed that the evaluation should be completed by January 1, THE MISSING PAPERS 279 1948, and "At that time your office will be contacted with respect to inal disposition of these papers." There is no written record that OAP ever sought further to have the documents returned, and they were not returned: For many years there have been rumors that these unpatented inventions or concepts of Tesla's found their way not only to the U.S. Army Air Force but to Russia and to private American defense Industries, and ultimately into certain university research laboratories engaged in beam weaponry The Oluce of Allen Property experienced a very difficult problem over the years in explaining its role in connection with Tesla's papers. Between 1948 and 1978 It issued the following variations on a theme to many Inquirers: "While this Office participated in an examination of certain material owned by the late Dr. Tesla, our records do not disclose that any such material has been vested or is presently under the jurisdiction of this Office.... "This Office has never had custody Nikola Tesla....” of any property of "While the Tesla papers were in our custody.." "Photostatic copies of pertain documents, made while the papers were under our seal.….….…..” *In 1943 this Office placed a seal on the property...." "While the Tesla papers were in our custody..." etc., etc., etc. As for what is now Headquarters Aeronautical Systems Divislon, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, they state: "The organizaBon (Equipment Laboratory) that performed the evaluation of Tesla's papers was deactivated several years ago. After conducting an extensive search of lists of records retired by that organization, in which we found no mention of Tesla's papers, we concluded the documents were destroyed at the time the laboratory was deactivated."* (Italics supplied. Response, under the Freedom of Information Act, dated July 30, 1980.) Tesla's original papers, and the remaining models of his inventions--his magnifying transmitter, robot boats, early tube lighting, induction motors, turbine, exhibits shown at the Chicago World's Fair of 1893, such as the "Egg of Columbus," and others-left America In 1952 for Yugoslavia. His ashes were sent later. The artifacts may now be seen at the Tesla Museum in Belgrade, a dignified-looking building with a broad, well-proportioned facade at No. 51 Proleterskih 151