Santa Fe, 1947: Madeline Gwynne Merchant escreve a Walter Winchell e pede dinheiro para coletar dados de campo sobre os discos

[transcrição omitida: dados de saúde]

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OFFICE OF DI RECTOR FEDERAL BUREAU \)F INVESTIGATION UNITED STAfES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE September B, 1947 Mr. Tracy Mr. Carson I Ladd_.r..✓-- Ni cbols -- Rosen Mr. Egan The attached was sent to Mr. Gurnea the Director by Walter Mr. Harbo Winchell. Mr. Hendon / Mr. Jones Mr. Pennington_ The notations appearing Tele. Room __ thereon read: Mr. Nease ___ Miss Holmes __ "Ack & F.B.I." Miss Gandy ___ "Please excuse haste - make airmail west." Attachment mt R RDEn .,O h ~ ED {; 6 Bureau fil ail to reflect any record on s. Madeline Gwynne Merchant , the writ letter. I c / 1 SEP is 1947 //

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r . •alter ,incnell, r, Postmaster , Loo Angeles , C,..J.if • .l)e c:1.r 1, r . u i ncr:e .11 : '\.T / '.s /£hvo.cle&e ~ Jetter deals with what are being called " discs ." You are not -co mention tne contents of this lett er over the air , nor to any ina.ividual otner tnan officials of tu.e \,a,r .uep 't., .wemoers of the JBI , or an .American whose patriotism ,,ollld rank witn your ovm, &.i..d wno might donate :t,10 , 000 or more for the purpose of my continuing tne col~ection of field a.at a conce1·ning II d1.0c s , 11 while time may remain i.1 which to do so . I haTe had respectful attention from the follo,,ing perso ...s• (.,..,:; uo-tiheerrn, fi6F e;;;:gx:iG acco·u::t"' Qveu.) Col . Herbert C. Gee , Comm. Officer , Los Alamos At omic rroject , Lo s Ale.mos , N .1 • • :ti aj . Bia.ne ,, Newourger , Securi 't:V Official , Lo s Alamos Atomic Project , Los Alamos , ..l .M . r . 1illara. Zim!uer , . Lili tar:v Intelliger.ce, .l:' . o. .Jox 6ol , i:>anta re , N .K . i 3 'IENCLOSURE

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[telefone omitido] to China , ) 1~ .:rri . ) ~ashington ~ with the right ahead . " money to elusive D. C. ii this Gee , reali t"lr• .! rancis .A inle;y , 1 ederal A5 ent - in- Chart;;e , ~ureau OI Inv. cigation , • San:ta J'e , N. 1v1 . Gen. S .R. 'Brennaul t , ss',:; . to Lf . Gen. Nathan _.•. Twining , AAJ' Mater iel Command, Washington , n.c. Col . Zumwalt , Ass ' t to Colonel Bunker , Co!Ilill. 0:t'f . Kirtl and J'ield , Albuquerque , ~ .M. Gen. Patrick Hurley , (~ormer Ambassador [endereço omitido] (.Also Santa J·e , Washingta;, , "J . C And thr ough the courtesy o:t' Gen. Patrick Hurlev , a let~er from Sec . OI War Robert Patterson , ~ar Dep 't, All were highlJ interested , appreciative , general "trend o±' contacts being , " This is fine . Go My poin,:; in writing you is to raise some ~roceed with . ~o budgets seemed to allow for the unexpected , "discs . 11 Sen . Carl llatch , D- N.~ ., U. S. Senate , ~ashington , nas been contacted by mai l Ior an appropriatio~ , but even onl;v requires one more week , it may be too late . You may contact any oI the abov e listed persons to veriI'y m~, contacts (excuse repetition word contact) during the past :tour months . In other word s, I began reporting dire ctl ,, to Dr . N0 rris ..tiraa.bury , bcientific Head of Los Alamos, and Colonel et al , some time ago tn8 t tnis t;v_i:)e aerial II disc u was a

• •This mate~ial 1as considered con!idential , and still is . I have been asked by Colonel Gee not to speak an,, further than mat~rial which has been published in the press . And I have chosen simply not to speak at all , except to a source which I consider might 1urther my own work . I I you ask or tne above persons , to ascertain whether or not I have made serious , materially valuable contributions, which ma~ indicate much scien~i!ically ... .. . and which , i f action can be continued soon enough , may a li~~le later save our nation much • . . . please make inquiries quietly , and as promptlv as convenient . I must ask you not to speculate , even to vourselr ... out si....plv to act . lJo not mention in any manner , until release bv the har Dep ' t , even tue receipt or this letter , except to the abo ve persons , or proper governmen~ o:t:ticials tnere . Or , to one whom ,,ou know Hill make a donaliion . :t'erhaps your savest bet would -be simpl:v to telephone the 1.r3I there , auo. let them telephone 1 1 rancis J inle:v nere :tor verirication . I promise you an exclusive , behind the scenes stor~ when , and if , tne ,1ar lJep ' t releases the material nationally . Meant ime , your action now may save :vou..r ov1n lite , and that 01 others who ma,, • nave wor..dered what a " disc " is . Rest assured I have all the proper scientific and rovernmenta contacts needed ... ... al~ I need is the where¼ithall . I h~ve the proper backt;roi...nd to d.isci...ss tne subject , secure the further field

• • -d· ta I new need , explain it technically , and secure proper action , provided I wn given ~ne means to do so . I regret that I cannot be more specific now , but dutv to country rests above . I ha ve met be:t'ore with the mental reaction, "What? A woman hanalin g this type material? " And m:v signature beTow will pro baol? evoke the same response f'rom :vou. So I assure :vou, :ves , it is a woman who is comi ng in with the inI·ormation which men have gone out to seek . And doin g the proper thin g about it . Mrs . hladeline cc/ P . S. Am a rormer newspa per person, and very proud of it . Am 39, but dress and feel some younger . Again , I must ask ,,ou not to mention even the town from which this letter comes , as :vou ma:v be endan gering lives to so so . Simply ascertain my contributions , get so r.e monev to me, and wait . (.!!-rancis l'inley ==1 s cJ f would give me a gas bud6et , iI' ne were not so close himself . )

---- Wrtn 22 Oct 1947 Lt Col Garrett/d l /4544 AFBIR - C0-5 AFi.lIR-CO•S Hq., USAF. :iashing t on 25 , D. O. IS Toa Corr.:no.ndint General, •1r f&~eriel Co':Ul!And, ( Attentions • T•2) 1. A repreaentotive ot· thia headquarter• has oontaetod Lt. Colonel r.erb8rt C. Gee oonoernin£ Uro. Morohant'e theor1 on the £lyin~ diao,, ~• expresaed to Generol Ere~tnall. .::;<e . . \. ' ' 2. It is reo o:unended tho. t no aotion bo taken to intel"rog•t• ·•ra. l!arch!t.n~ ond that thia oaH be cloted . .. /Inol1 - n/o DOUGr.ASS W, 'EISEMAN Lt. Col one l, A;±r Coap;; US. AF ~eo\..t.i v 'i , r u-.e • ~ :qui r ements Division Ott1oe ot Ass 't Chier of~ Staft-2 ffCS~,;p . i 8 OC,1947 4!.A- UIL ~ . p 94646 I OFFICE SYM60L 1 SIONA TUBE 01' REsroN smu~ O•lrlC£1l l1'Tl!RNA-L OFFICE COORDU<ATION 3 4 65 ~-

Hee.dquartere 'AIR :iATER IEL C~D TSNAD-2B/\CL/a.'llc ,1right Field, Dayton, Ohio 13 Oct 1947 SUBJECT: ''Flying Di sea" TO: Chief of St~ff United States Air ~orce ~ash ircton 25, D, c, ATn1 : AC/AS-2 Lt Col George Garrett 1, !ttached copies of communications are self-explanatory end indicate action taven to obtain additional information regarding subject. Assistance shown from Lt Col Herbert c. Gee was with reference to the social standing and character of t'rs. tJerchant to determine justification for further investigation of her theo ries . 2 . In view of Lt Col Gee' s transfer to ,fashington, D. c . ., it is suggested that a representative from Headouarters , AC/aS- 2 con ­ tact and interview him. 3 . General Brentnall stated that Mrs . Merchant was extr emely talkative and seemed quite intent on promoting a personal enterprise inste~d of cooperating to help solve an intelligence problem . 4, Co, nents and sugt:;estions, therefore, regardin 6 further action to interrogate 1!rs . Merc~ant would be appreciated in order to close this case as soon as possible. FOR T£IB co~~ff~DING GENER.AL: • /s/ " . R. Clingernan, Col., A. C. for 2 Incls H. r.~. 1rcDOY 1. Cy 11 C, T-2 .i..tr, 9/29/47 , Col onel, :ir Corps "Flyinr; Discs'' Deputy CoMmanding CTeneral 2. Cy 1st Ind , 10/2/47, fr Intellirence (r-2) Fq. Kirtland Field, lbuquerque, New~exico C 0 p y

B/L fr 'Iqs 1 .JtMC, ~.right Fiold. , Dayton, Ohio, File ':.'Si'AD-2B, 29 Sep 47 , Subj : ''Flying Dices" lat Ind HGll : ns i]"EAD~UARTERS, Kirtland. Field, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 2 October 1947 TO: Co!lUllandini; 0enera.l, :1.ir •!ntericl Command, lr.ight lisld, Ohio ATTErTic~i : T-2 1. The o~ficer. referred to in Par. 3 is Lt . Col~ Horbert C. Gee, 0-19717, who v,as f'ornerly ComMD.ndine; O!'.!'icer at Los .~lamos rather than Las Vegas, as stated. Lt. Col. Gee is now stationed in the office, Chiai' of' ngineers, .::ivil 11orks Division, ,ashir- 6ton, I) , C. 2 . There is no repl~cement for Lt. Col . Gee at Los llanos ruid no ir.fcrmation is available to indicate that any individual in this vicinit,/ has ~ore information concerning wra. Merchant ' s theory than Brig. Gen . Brentnall of N'C vrho personally conducted an interview with her . H0,7A,.1D G. -aUNKEI{ Col onel , C •

·-­ O: TO: DATE: TO: TO: DATE: DATE: OTHER ACTION: HQ AAF 1 SUSPENSE DATE: NO.: 234015 F ILE DESIGNATION AND DATE: • P 94846TYPE, Ltr. SMRY: "i"l yine Disce" .,; 2 Inc ls. / $~