Australian UFO Bulletin - 1968 02 - February

Magazine Overview

Title: Australian UFO Bulletin
Issue: Newssheet
Date: February, 1968
Publisher: The Victorian V.F.D. Research Society
Country: Australia

This issue of the Australian UFO Bulletin focuses heavily on the burgeoning Soviet interest in UFOs, alongside reports of sightings and scientific speculation.

Russians Studying UFO's

The lead article announces the establishment of a scientific project by the Russian Government to investigate UFO sightings. This is presented as a remarkable shift in the Russian government's attitude, moving from ridicule to serious study. The bulletin quotes the English magazine "Flying Saucer Review" which notes that "brief radio news items on Sunday, November 12, 1967, gave the long awaited, but nonetheless remarkable news that the government of the Soviet Union is taking flying saucers very seriously." The article highlights a previous piece in "Smena" by Dr. Fyodor Yu. Zigel, which indicated a move away from scoffing, and mentions that many Russian UFO reports, some confirmed by radar, have existed. The tone of the "Smena" article, edited by Prof. B.P. Konstantinov of the Soviet Academy of Sciences, suggested that Russia would organize an official study, which was confirmed on November 12.

The British Press, particularly "The Times", gave publicity to this news, with an editorial suggesting the Russian commission would serve a similar function to British and American defense ministries. The leader-writer concluded that "UFOs must have some explanation, else the Russians would never have set up a commission to examine them."

The bulletin notes that the "Daily Express" reported Russia was to open the world's first UFO detection agency, headed by Air Force General Anatoli Stolyerov. This move is seen as a rethinking by Soviet scientists on flying saucers. A letter from a Moscow correspondent dated October 25 indicated a permanent commission had been established on October 18, with General Stolyerov's second-in-command being Dr. Zigel. The committee also includes an unnamed Russian cosmonaut and 18 scientists and astronomers, with 200 qualified observers across the country. The commission is particularly interested in reports from the Caucasus, the Urals, and Central Asia.

The Russians are seen as laying the groundwork for public awareness, with articles in "Smena" and "Tekhnika Molodezhi" (Technicians of Youth) contributing to this. The bulletin notes that the Russian investigations could provide competition to the US's Colorado Project, which was expected to issue findings in September.

UFOs Seen in Russia

Reports indicate that Soviet astronomers have studied UFOs through telescopes, according to the "Soviet Weekly". Objects observed over Kazan were described as crescent-shaped, 500 to 600 yards in diameter, and reportedly travelled at about 10,000 m.p.h. at a height of 30 to 65 miles.

Strange Stone Discs are Puzzling the Russians

An article from the Auckland HERALD details a discovery in Moscow of 716 stone discs received from China, covered in unreadable hieroglyphics and dating back thousands of years. These discs, with a hole in the center and a double groove, have puzzled Chinese experts for nearly twenty years. One Chinese expert formulated a theory that the discs, found in caves on the China-Tibet border, were "calling cards" left by "interplanetary travellers" from 12,000 years ago. Moscow scientists found the discs emitted an unusual vibration, suggesting an electric charge. The 12,000-year-old celestial stones remain a mystery, though Soviet scientists suspect they are related to extraterrestrial visitors.

The Soviet Union has established a special scientific center at the Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory in Armenia to deal with extraterrestrial civilizations. Professor Matislav Agrest believes a spaceship landed on Earth, and visitors built a launching platform in the Lebanese Mountains. He also suggests the Baalbek Terrace in Lebanon might have been built by space travelers. Mysterious glassy bodies called tektites found in the Libyan Desert are cited as supporting evidence.

UFO's Over Western Australia

Two sighting reports from Western Australia, sent by Les Locke of the Perth UFO Society, are included:

1. A farmer near Yericern reported a whining noise and saw a saucer-shaped object, approximately 20 ft. in diameter and 5-6 ft. high, land near his vehicle. When he spoke to it, his voice was echoed back. The object then took off rapidly.
2. A driver near Boy-up Brook reported his car stopping and its electrical system cutting out. A tube of light, about 2 ft. in diameter and bluish, projected from an object. The beam entered the car, and after 3-5 minutes, the car resumed normal operation, and the object disappeared.

ABC Video-Tapes VUFORS Meeting

Mr. Gerald Lyons and a "This Day Tonight" film crew attended a VUFORS (Victorian UFO Research Society) meeting in February and video-taped part of the proceedings. The segment is expected to be included in a program in early March. The meeting venue, Kelvin Hall, is apparently being used by a discotheque, prompting VUFORS to consider moving.

BBC Visit Wrecked by Devaluation

A planned visit by a BBC film crew to interview UFO witnesses in Victoria has been cancelled due to the recent sterling devaluation, which increased the project's cost beyond the original budget.

Badge for Society

The Committee is investigating the preparation of a lapel badge for members, and suggestions for a design are invited.

General Meetings

Meetings for 1968 are scheduled for the first Friday of each month at 8 p.m. in the Library, 2nd floor, Kelvin Hall, 55 Exhibition Street, Melbourne. Future programs include taped interviews, films, and lectures.

Membership Renewals

The Society relies on membership subscriptions and urges members to renew promptly to aid in planning publications.

Sightings

Members are encouraged to report their own sightings or those they are aware of to the Sightings Investigations Officer, Neville Thornhill.

Sighting Nights

Members interested in attending sighting nights should contact Douglas Mummery by a specified date before the events on February 24th and March 23rd.

Further News From Around the Globe

Strange Effects From EM Waves

Reports from World War II onwards describe numerous cases of odd physical reactions during UFO encounters, including heat, burns, paralysis, affected vision, disturbing sounds, and numbness. While initially attributed to hysteria, the consistency of these reports warrants serious study. Experiments by Prof. Clyde E. Ingalls at Cornell University suggest that electromagnetic waves can be "heard" directly through the nervous system, bypassing the ears. Using a radar beam, Ingalls found that subjects could perceive a "sound" originating from above the head, indicating a broad-band effect not reliant on normal auditory channels.

Scientist Finds Chlorophyll Dist

A physicist and astronomer, Dr. Fred M. Johnson of Pasadena, California, has discovered that stellar dust is mostly chlorophyll, a key compound for life on Earth. This finding suggests that biological life may be possible in outer space, with the "germ of life" being implicit in his theory.

Martians? Posh! We're All Alone in the Universe Says Nobel-Winner!!!

Sir John Eccles, a Nobel prize-winning physiologist, contends that humans are the only intelligent life in the universe, calling the development of intelligent life on Earth a "fantastic improbability" that could only happen once. He states that Earth is the only place where intelligent life exists.

Famed Physicist Says Flying Saucers Taking Earth Samples

Physicist and Engineer Paul Santorini, known for his work on radar and bombs, has lectured on flying saucers, no longer considering them a joke. He attributes the New York blackout of 1965 and other power failures to saucer activity. Santorini believes military authorities and churches are complicit in a blanket of secrecy over UFOs due to fear of panic and disruption of religious doctrine, respectively. He argues that by treating the existence of flying saucers as established fact, he has stirred significant interest in his nation.

Bulletins of the Following Societies are Recommended

Recommendations are provided for UFO publications from Canada (C.A.P.I.C.), New Zealand (SPACEVIEW), and the United States (The U.F.C. Reporter, AIR, Inc.).

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the increasing seriousness with which UFO phenomena are being treated by governments and scientific bodies, particularly in the Soviet Union, and the reporting of specific sightings and unusual physical effects associated with UFO encounters. The editorial stance appears to be one of open inquiry and a belief that UFOs warrant serious scientific investigation, moving beyond mere skepticism. There is a clear emphasis on disseminating information from various sources, including international publications and member reports, to inform the society's readership about the global UFO landscape.