PROJECTING ELECTRONIC RAY

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 02194751
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 9
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2022
• Document Release Date: October 26, 2018
• Case Number: F-2016-02255
• Publication Date: December 26, 1950

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.44
Chief
Projecting
LIC=Or
1, ln Dec 50s cub1ectegl above
izve,ticittofls of the Prajeotli
e instructions r,Jcelved 111 the 0
and conference was hele. Al Mr.
soy on. 21 ii9C0glkar.
and conclusiou art: roportf;
'" a memorandum l!or
attended tyi
eh and Dovelopme
Mr, J. Blcdg�tt Priest
Mr� Arthur Merchant
Mrs Pam LandoIt
litr Thomas lirtude
one
Is o reference
1M3 '
is emlooad for LA.
n of the Projecting Electronic Haymow
ong with a description at the equipments
ts and re .ti-cftcst,a cl'iriad to have
/lode Nr. Merchant in the early
on a dral.ine prepared 1.7 Mr. ',lambent
otos covariar his work awing the period
copy of Harchent.,�1, 1Qt,-.or to the
Arsenals aatertawns Acuseausettss of
), and CO a 04 of typed notes pertaining to
ifie formula** of the projector (five pages).
ges of typed usttizial were obtained tvr me on
receipt signed by NE on behalf of the Apgar,
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2
of terthdivg
tr,
la
distant%
4 protoxepe
latest.
hia ar tee Wive
tionel capifeilitiee
ef the merojectore
torn is,iA ef eel attempt
nventienal end ile4enown electronics
its in the hope teat peeerful radiation
eveetation that avficecnt intereet
n the governweetal cirelos to furnish
nenoeisteon with sit ficiant funde to
of the project.
The ax�xti.on of the meterial supplied bY me. merebmnt mnd
obtained by me On a loin bane shows that the essic lees far the Pro-
*Patine Rey mai'a edbeect of a seoret conerace between Pr. Merchant
and the United etatre Arny ordeemee issued by the Chier of Ordnance
to Marebentfind Aeseelatee. to 1936 under Ordnanoe eontract
160,445,eht An inspection of tiee contrect files revyt-Osthat the
=tract was limed en Mee 9, 19,6, and was cancelled on october 8,
1937, due to the failure of Mr. Merchant and eis a6eociates to suPPler
the neeeseery in and 44101:1004 46 stipulkted ti the contract.
The matter of the centrect end of Mr. Merebentte claire were reviewed
ter the Chief of Ordnance, U. Arnie, in 1938, upon inatieetion of Mr.
Jamie Roosevelt and in Me as a result of a direct in-II-eery origineted
� Seentor V4 0,* Lode*, Jr. IR 1910 the setter etc rooecned by a
prepOlal of a Oilliam 7, Umber to modify the basit ides end equipments
Var MAIO Olean airplane detector oapeble af 2u0 miles range. i all
esseigthe Amy Ordnance :review resulted in nogati7e relverulatioa�
time fer no definite� proof of aey tests of thr projeator or
of eueh have been supplied or round in seepart of Mr
me. It has been ancertaineo that Lbws eeeeared an
teeny of one of bostonts neseeeecre Pebliebed in
e the remit* of admit teets veth a prot
Merwhamt to a newspOper earrtsponceat.
WiThfeeu requested to obLela ene forward
le for inforeationeed file. It L. doebtfel,
tele can be used 10 a Iveitive of of Vr.
terial pert IIin to it was downgraded
July 1947e
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Arnnri
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ify Kr opinion of to basic tiolraleal
eirliPrient, and or Mr. Itarcfraixt Is
IAA 3.'1watt/on and zet-srita a.Ith ir�
and, several member!� ,Jf: � The
no 2;o1lonnet
� t the equIpaamt
ola Serehar,t 311e tr
no reaaon for are/ furthar tiat by
gate:one so far Trade by CIA ofagat be
t 3hou1i; be transferred t. 1.Lo latIonal
a thorough teokrtioal remivw, taspeetien,
-,7i to tbe eid4rnt
CIA and *a ttleat
lel
SEMI
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Aar UI.UIILuI
LAMAS ant Director for Scientific Intelligence 18 December 1950
Chief, Physics and Electronics Division
Projecting Electronic Ray
1. In accordance with your request, I visited Mr. T. E. Priest
on 16 December 1950 at his farm in Hackettstown, N. J. 1 was accompanied
by \, who handled the pre-
liminary investigations and arralvemenbs for trio visit.
2. No specific technical information on the Projecting Rey, its
principle of operation or its potentialities were made available to me
at this meeting, as Mr. A. Merchant, who is claimed to be the originator
of the Ray, and who is rking on the technical design of the pertinent
equipment, was not present.
3. The discussions with Mr. Priest and his assistant left me with
the following observations and impressions:
a. The Projecting Electronic Ray at this stage is a promo-
tional project, the purpose of wtich is to obtain adequate funds
from the U. S. Government for research, development and design of
an equipment scapable of delivering powerful electronic energy to
a distance in excess of a few hundred yards to cut trees, minerals,
and metals, and to destroy life by conversion of a sharply tuned
electronic ray into heat.
b. No factual information on technical principles or details
of producing the Ray is known to Mr. Priest, and. his activities are
guided by the potentialities of the Ray as derived from his belief
that Mr. Merchant is capable of producing such Ray and from the
claimed fact that a prototype of the Ray-producing equipment, as
beilt by Mr. Merchant, was used an a glass and metal cutting tool
and VAS destroyed by Mr. Merchant when he eecogeired the full sig-
nificance of the potentialities of the Ray.
c. In this prometional project, Mr. Priest has a vested
interest derived from his -support to the project by the exploita-
tion of his intimate contacts with the high authorities in Wishing-
bee. The key technical factor is, however, Mr. Merchant. It is
apparent that he is reasonably cautious in sharing his ideas on
the Electronic Ray, and any attempt to formulate an opinion on the
feasibility of production and potentialities of the Ray must involve
direct contact with him.
SEUL
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erPorr
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4411F
4. A direct contact with Yrio Merchant ie predicated on the
follo*ing conditions, as stipulated by Mr. Merchant and stated to me
by Mr. Priests
a. Positive assurances must be given to Mr. Merchant that
his ideas and principles as these pertain to the Alectronic Rain
will be duly protected and no attempt to exploit them be made by
the government without his concurrence and approval.
b. Due =edit will be given to Mr. Marchant :or his ideas
it any use of his ideas and principles are made by the 7overnment.
0.� All negotiation for such uses gill be made through the
Primalta Research and Development Company.
Provided that the above conditions are met, Mr. Merchant is
o meet with the U.S. Governmeht representatives as soon as
e preferably by Wednesday, 20 December 1950.
MY personal opinion and recommendations are as fallout
a. The general pattern of the Projecting Electronic Ray
developments so far-induces me to think that there is nothing
revolutionary ia it, and that it is in effect nothing but an
outright promotional scheme.
b. But Zr the fact that the President and his personal
friend are involved, I would recommend that we drop our participa-
tion in the project.
C. In view of the manner in which re have been involved in
he project, however, I would recommend that the investigations be
continued and that a day authorised representative or representa-
tives of the government be inetructed to contact Mr. Merchant.
d. In view of the specific requests for assurances contained
in paragraph 4 above, I recommend that the Director's opinion be
obtained on the advisability of transferring the responsibility for
contacts with Mr. Merchant to RD13 or other suitable organisatione,
or the advisability of requesting participation and support from
such organizations to CIA in further inveetigations.
0. If this cannot be done forthwith, 7 recommend that the
C/A be directed to request a postponement
of a visit to Mr Merchant from this week, as recommended by
Ur. Priest, to a more suitable time.
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*40 Mgt'
Ass tent Director for Scientific
tntelliSente
Assistant Director for Operation'
Prima it' Research and Development OceePezlY,
Rackettatown, Rev Jersey
ort contains all of the information that the
Office vas able to obtain through discreet local
Sasesra and PrfolCsiseat Company Mad tho
with it. This mart is submitted in reepon's to
request to Nt. Osborn of the Contact Division on Friday,
950.
e Office will be happy to take whatever further WU= you
able to 'Wort your reZcxt to the XI on this setter.
Limited information vs have been able to obtain in the tele,-
time allotted, it would :Wear that Mt. Priest My be the
ctin at opportunism in the person' of Dr. Gardner and
Att t: is stated above
:SECRET
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wir
by ADAC for infonsaticas at to bachground sal isneral
ittllating
birchitat
Skasschosetto
Menai *hump aosoachnoetts.Is
has rite sal too datetters. Ne
circles Ss Breton and is not noted
protessireal. eaginoers.
as on eccentric lariats; mad MOP
oersted a rattan ortiele describing
�death roe. Is lives in re-
sat Is warrally thavist of os
Dm Um& in the lacksttotova ore* tar over tea 'vino
eats taw It. rods leascuri, ober. he sae reputed to have
buss * Irma sad a joke of sass octant them Is la 'between
611 it 65 yam oltt, amerled to * fanner Ass Cox (nov 52..53
of Odd Like. Net Amy. leas of our lalarasoto
ta Nesesinch it hovetwist Capp; as such,
koala that he is is the process of
1sitoiratory *ad is &lag sate typo of
is a Dr. tossiol. Gardner larking
Meat daub hie or his bacbancent.
of his ips14 alaisg intonate tat vest
dosla sresed It. ;Antis sad his castaets
vosbiligtaa. lite minister Oaf a letter
liesident Timm Urn vall of s 11"44
intiniste triessioldip with General Vaaghee
No claim to hare been a Tics !zooid/at
treasit dystas is OM Tark Cita' it also
Coogrataan Most of Tennessee.
hood shoat cue sile putout* or
to 10 rem)* you Ass
York States travels to New York
aPPeers veU oft finsacrialkis saw
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Mir
Officer Pew Tort!'wt at
# Joliette that Priest hoe
is presumed to hos been
for merges* nowenent.
414 ?licit as boiler maker
ton, Sew Joreey.
anew* trout records
an Prinalta lieseerch end
IL St. Petersburg
Lention
LS at various
doloubia
tines cm "hot leads is 194
tit lueolon by the name of
we& is this country end vho
sloe 50 Terlin bY
tine in a tentatua nine is
to be * swindle. So firs evidence
liested.
indicate that Daniel Gardner has
doriener and it is bellowed that
tile on this individual Chaudonar
to be a dhunist.
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