We need your help. Behind the scenes lobbying is not working.
In November 2025, the U. S. Congress passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act. Last December, a “revamped Nazi-loot restitution bill was passed by the US Senate unanimously”. And last week, a senate hearing was held in which some senators pressured UBS management to release files regarding financial services activity for fleeing German Nazi officials to Argentina following WWII. This is alleged to have been historically faciliated by Credit Suisse, which UBS acquired in 2023. (See hearing on YouTube here.)
These are strong developments for transparency and more truth to come forward.
But one key intelligence archive in the San Francisco area from the Nazi-era is STILL classified, and shouldn’t be.
Particularly, the files are thought to contain detailed information about not only the contact between Nazi German consuls in San Francisco before the US entered WWII, but also opportunistic Americans in business and society. The consuls included the alleged assassin Manfred von Killinger, later "Butcher of Bucharest", and also Hitler's former adjutant Fritz Wiedemann (c. 1938-41).
These still-classified files potentially holds secrets regarding not only stolen Nazi art into America, but all sorts of opportunistic activity by American friends of the Nazi regime. Information about unsolved murders, threats and blackmail may also be in the files, curiously still classified.
Note that right before 1940, the FBI was mainly focused on the communist threat, not Nazi, but US Naval Intell especially in SoCal did have a Nazi threat focus. Also gathering intelligence at this time was the US State Department. So all three areas must be consulted to get a clearer picture of the official US government record.
In c. 1940, the SF Naval district included not only the Bay Area, but the state down to just north of Santa Barbara, most of Nevada and all of Utah and Colorado. Regarding 1939 German Nazi consul to SF coverage, that covered what the SF Naval Intell area did, but add New Mexico, and Hawaii. One can also imagine special projects crossing over.
Below are the file sets identified that are still classified.
We need your help. Surprising, unsurprising, behind the scenes lobbying is not working.
HELP MAKE THIS TOO BIG, SO IT CANNOT BE IGNORED
How you can help:
-* Repost / retweet this article to raise awareness
-* Contact the offices of Sen. Chuck Grassley (Iowa), Sen. John Cornyn (Texas), Sen. Ted Cruz (Texas), and Sen. Eric Schmitt (Missouri), all on historical Nazi-era related committees. Add a link to this article, with the message: “Declassify The Nazi-era Naval Intelligence For The San Francisco District (1933-42): WHO has kept these under-the-radar-files classified and WHY?
-* Subscribe to mailings. Send email to artdesigncafe [at] gmail [dot] com, with subject: "Subscribe, Declassified Nazi Intell mailings"
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See sets of still-classified Nazi-era files below.
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Given the state of classication of many pf the SF Naval Intell files from the Nazi era, one wonders about the state of access, and lack of previous review of the naval intell files across all districts. This also includes the notorious state of the State Dept files, while the FBI files seem structurally sorted. In addition, we can assume that the consular files concerning numerous German consulates across the US haven't been thoroughly reviewed either.
See:
-* US Elites Behaving Badly: The Shocking Tour Of A British Royal / Hitler Ally Across America In Spring 1940 (including events in Palm Springs, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and San Francisco)
Information about California socialite Emily Hall Tremaine (previously Spreckels) (left), suspected informal spy for SoCal Naval Intelligence head Ellis M. Zacharias (right) may be in these classified files. Zacharias was known to send selected reports to FBI director J. Edgar Hoover (center).
-* The Manhattan: Top 9 Bubbled-up, US Nazi History Situations To Watch In 2026
Mone of this was ever even hinted at, let alone mentioned, during my Department of Education Federal Government developed public schooling! I and many others (most?) have no idea that this even happened or anything else remotely un-American at the time!!
I am sharing widely and reading for the rest of the day, and every day forward until I have some kind of grasp on this new history.
Thank you for informing me of my ignorance!