Nikola Tesla

Dr. Tesla's Honors

DR. TESLA'S HONORS *

To the New York Herald Tribune:

I have been a reader of your excellent paper for more than fifty years and feel much obliged to you for the pleasure and enlightenment derived from its perusal. Many of your admirable editorials are on my files. Under these circumstances it is unfortunate that your issue of Sunday, July 11, contained a report very injurious to me.

The particularly damaging statement is: "The decorations made very little impression on Dr. Tesla. 'They mean nothing - take them away,' said Dr. Tesla."

I should say that the expression on my face in the photograph accompanying the report, would be sufficient to disprove the above assertion. When it became necessary to clear the table I was very anxious that the precious objects be placed in safe hands and requested my old friend, George Scherff, auditor of the Union Sulphur Company, who was one of the honored guests, to take care of them. Moreover, as soon as I was free, I cabled His Royal Highness Prince Regent Paul of Yugoslavia and to His Excellency Dr. Eduard Benes, President of Czechoslovakia, expressing my profound gratitude for the rare distinctions conferred upon me and my great pride of possessing them. It was desireable to show in the photograph the Yugoslav Minister handing me the order of the White Eagie but His Excellency Konstantin Fotitch, besides being a master in diplomacy, is a man of commanding stature in other respects, and he did not insist. However, a more charming dignitary than Dr. Vladimir Hurban, Minister of Czechoslovakia, could not be imagined.

NIKOLA TESLA

New York, July 24, 1937

OCR by: Varsányi Péter (Pepe) www.tesla.hu. Verzió: 1.00 (2003-08-31)

* New York Herald Tribune — July 27, 1937