SECRET. 

BEGINS.

TO: J. Edgar Hoover, Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation. 

FROM: SAC Jeffrey Morton, Salt Lake City, Utah.

DATE: 15 January 1953. 

RE: Possible loss of plutonium from Hanford Works.   

            Bureau agents have continued their inquiries.  If we reject the Idaho-Nevada route, then alternative routes include West toward Seattle-Portland, Southeast toward Salt Lake City, and then East toward New York. 

            Agents were dispatched along each of these axes. 

            No leads were discovered along the Nampa-Seattle route. 

            Leads were discovered to the eastward of the Nampa-Salt Lake City route.  Gas station operators along Highway 80 in Nebraska and Illinois vaguely recall fueling both a large sedan and a 2.5 ton truck. 

            The Iowa State Highway Patrol reports that a 2.5 ton Army-surplus truck collided with a car on 29 December 1952.  The collision was minor: there were no injuries and little body damage to the vehicles.  A State trooper happened to be passing and stopped to investigate.  The trooper judged that the driver of the automobile, rather than the driver of the truck, was at fault.  He collected information and then sent them on their way. 

            The license on the truck was from Kentucky.  The name of the truck driver was Jack Zelig.  His driver’s license was from Ohio.  No Buick sedan was observed. 

            No reports have been received from gas station operators east of Illinois. 

            This information suggests that it is possible that the thieves are operating from eastern Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, northern Kentucky, or Western Pennsylvania. 

            We have requested information on the license plate number from the Kentucky State Police on an urgent basis. 

            Request any information on Jack ZELIG. 

SECRET.