FBI file: Kenneth Arnold

Read from the scan by GLM-OCR; expect the odd misread word.

## August 19, 1947

SMITH and ARNOLD went to the Tacoma Times Office where a reporter met them and took them to MORRELLO in the United Press Office. There they read the latest press releases and had a discussion with MORRELLO regarding the anonymous phone calls. In the course of this discussion MORRELLO mentioned the name of Major GEORGE SANDERS, Public Relations Officer at McChord Field as being one of the officers interested in the investigation.

Following this discussion with MORRELLO, at which time SMITH states they still refused to divulge any further information, SMITH and ARNOLD returned to the Hotel for the night.

On Sunday morning, August 3, 1947, DAHL appeared at the Hotel room and told them that he had received a letter from CRISMAN which said in effect, "Take care of my business. I'll be out of town for three or four days." DAHL had a letter with him but he did not show it to SMITH or ARNOLD. The three men then drove to DAHL's secretary's house in South Tacoma and picked her up and the four of them then went to breakfast on the South Tacoma highway. While the four of them then went to breakfast SMITH excused himself and called Major SANDERS at McChord Field and arranged an appointment to meet him at the Hotel lobby at 11:00 A. M. They then took DAHL's secretary to her home where DAHL picked up a typewriter and then drove SMITH and ARNOLD back to the Hotel. They asked him if he was going to take them to Maury Island that day and he replied that he was not. He further stated that he was sick of the entire business and that if he was ever contacted by the Army or the authorities he was going to deny ever having seen anything and claim to be "the biggest liar that ever lived". Shortly after returning to the Hotel, SMITH met Major SANDERS in the lobby and they went in SMITH's car to a coffee shop in South Tacoma where SMITH proceeded to tell Major SANDERS the entire story of the incidents which had occurred in Tacoma regarding the CRISMAN and DAHL story since Thursday afternoon. Following this, SMITH took Major SANDERS back to the Hotel and introduced him to ARNOLD and suggested to ARNOLD that he also tell Major SANDERS the entire story of what had occurred. ARNOLD did so. Major SANDERS after looking at the fragments which were still in the room suggested that they drive out to the Smelter near Tacoma as he believed the slag at the Smelter would bear a distinct resemblance to these fragments. The three men then drove to the Smelter and the slag was noted to be definitely similar to the fragments which CRISMAN and DAHL had left in the Hotel room. They then returned to the Hotel room and Major SANDERS left them. After packing their bags, SMITH took ARNOLD to Berry's Airport where his plane was parked and then SMITH drove himself back to Seattle.

About an hour after his arrival in Seattle, which was approximately 7:30 P.M., LANTZ of the Tacoma Times appeared at SMITH's home with the newspaper containing the Associated Press story which had originated in Boise, Idaho in the Boise Statesman and which was written by following SMITH's admission to him that fragments had been carried by Lieutenant BROWN and Captain DAVIDSON on the fatal B-25 flight. SMITH at this time continued to refuse to give any statements for the Press and told LANTZ that he had placed