Civlilian Saucer Intellligence of New York - No 17

Magazine Overview

The CSI News Letter, Issue No. 5, dated September 21, 1956, is the official publication of the Civilian Saucer Intelligence of New York. It is compiled, written, and edited by Ted Bloecher, Isabel Davis, and Lex Mebane of the CSI Research Section. The newsletter's primary focus in this issue is to challenge the official stance on UFOs, particularly the response from Major General Joe W. Kelly of the Air Force, and to present a comprehensive list of UFO sightings from the summer of 1956.

How About Those Three Secret Reports, General Kelly?

The lead article critiques the New York Enquirer's series on UFOs and highlights a letter from Donald E. Keyhoe to his Senator, Harry F. Byrd, posing eleven questions about the Air Force's withholding of information concerning 'flying saucers.' Keyhoe specifically referenced three 'top-secret' intelligence reports from Projects Saucer and Blue Book, mentioned by Edward J. Ruppelt in his book. Major General Joe W. Kelly, Director of Legislative Liaison, responded to Senator Byrd, dismissing the significance of Keyhoe's queries. Kelly concluded that there was no evidence of inimical or hostile forces, interplanetary vehicles, technological developments beyond current scientific knowledge, or threats to national security.

The article argues that Kelly failed to address Keyhoe's questions directly. It questions the official stance by referencing three specific reports: a preliminary study from September 1947 stating 'the reported phenomena were real,' an 'Estimate of the Situation' from 1948 concluding UFOs were non-terrestrial, and a 1952 report detailing the 'controlled motions' of saucers. The editors urge readers to write to their Senators and Congressmen after the November elections to inquire why these reports cannot be examined by the public and why the Air Force, with its increased budget, cannot conduct a truly scientific study of UFOs.

Recent CSI News

This section provides updates on CSI activities and related news:

• CSI Meetings: The July 9th meeting featured Isabel Davis discussing her Hopkinsville, Kentucky investigation. The next meeting is tentatively scheduled for late October.
• Summary Report: A summary report of last season's public meetings, including the Barker lecture, is still pending.
• Special Report on Hopkinsville: Miss Davis's report is delayed due to new material being incorporated, including a screen through which creatures were allegedly fired upon.
• CSI Column in 'Fantastic Universe': The CSI News Letter editors will contribute a factual column on UFOs to the science fiction publication 'Fantastic Universe,' starting with the February or March 1957 issue. The February issue will also feature a survey by Ivan Sanderson.
• CSI Miscellany: Secretary-Treasurer Lex Mebane is on an extended vacation in England. Ted Bloecher spent time in Cincinnati investigating reports of 3-foot bipeds seen the previous year, interviewing six witnesses and uncovering two new cases. While correlations exist, the bipeds in different cases appear markedly different.
• Apology: An apology is issued for an error in announcing a 'Mars Spectacular' that did not appear, attributing it to NBC's unreliability.

Our Sincere Thanks

The newsletter expresses gratitude to various members and friends for their contributions, including reports, clippings, and material for the CSI News Letter.

UFO Reports for Summer, 1956

This extensive section details numerous UFO sightings reported during the summer of 1956. While the summer was not as eventful as anticipated, sightings increased towards the end of July and August. Many reports involved 'night lights,' often misidentifications of Mars and Venus. However, several more distinct sightings are documented:

• June 21, 1956 (Homestead, Pa.): Boy Scouts and their Scoutmaster observed several silvery, shiny disc-shaped objects maneuvering at high speed, appearing and disappearing from clouds.
• June 27, 1956 (Hazelton, Pa.): Two fast-moving, round objects resembling bright stars were seen traveling at high speed at an estimated 20,000 feet.
• June 27, 1956 (Mahoney City): Two unidentified ball-shaped objects hovered, then shot vertically upwards, leaving a short vapor trail.
• June 28, 1956 (Allentown, Pa.): Two 'tiny yellow-golden globules' were seen moving southerly, followed by three more lights overhead.
• June 29, 1956 (Las Vegas, Nev.): Eight dull orange elliptical objects were seen hovering and crossing paths.
• July 4, 1956 (Indiana): A round object emitting a bluish light with a blue tail was observed, described as about the size of a washpan, moving in large circles.
• July 17, 1956 (Idaho Falls, Idaho): A 'real bright' light moved rapidly northeast, growing alternately bright and dim.
• July 17, 1956 (Ontario, Oregon): A slender, cigar-shaped object, appearing self-luminous and orange-red, moved slowly northwest.
• July 17, 1956 (Payette, Idaho): Four people saw a round, flat orange disc hovering for about half an hour before moving off rapidly.
• July 17, 1956 (Blackfoot, Idaho): A brightly lit object, initially white then turning bright blue, moved at tremendous speed on a northwest-southeast heading.
• July 18, 1956 (Hansen, Idaho): A cigar-shaped object with a red glow along its length moved west-northwest.
• July 18, 1956 (Whitestone, L.I.): Several flights of at least 4 objects were seen, described as silvery-chartreuse, turning deep pink as they accelerated, moving in v-formations and straight lines at fantastic speeds.
• July 19, 1956 (San Bernardino, California): A 15-year-old took a photograph of a strange object that rapidly receded into the sky.
• July 20, 1956 (Wichita, Kansas): A photograph was taken of an object east of Wichita, following numerous reports of flying objects in the area.
• July 22, 1956 (Pixley, California): A C-141D Convair flying at 16,000 ft. experienced 'metal-fatigue' and a dive after what felt like a collision, with the pilot suspecting something struck from above.
• August 23, 1956 (Fullerton, California): Three youngsters reported a large, round object with a 'weird blue color with white trim' hovering and then zooming out of sight.
• August 25, 1956 (Reading, Mass.): An 'orange star' appeared, grew to the size of a full moon, and moved at airliner speed with a brilliant white light and orange glow.
• August 25, 1956 (Charlestown, Mass.): A 'pear-shaped' object, glowing white with orange outer sides, was seen traveling north.
• August 26, 1956 (Lynn, Mass.): Eleven oval objects were seen 'spinning around like mad,' leaving bright luminous trails.
• August 27, 1956 (Altoona, Pa.): A 'disc-like object' about 2-3 feet in diameter, twirling like a top, ascended rapidly, emitting a 'cold wind' and brilliant light.
• September 2, 1956 (Stony Brook, L.I.): Three people watched a hovering white light making quick darts and returning to its original position.
• September 3, 1956 (Coney Island, N.Y.): A white light, described as 'starlike' but larger, moved erratically in abrupt paths.
• September 3, 1956 (Mansfield, Ohio): A silver saucer-like object was seen passing across the sky at high speed.
• September 7, 1956 (Monnemore, Ireland): A small 3-foot cigar-shaped device landed, spun, and rose out of sight.
• September 7, 1956 (Twin Falls, Idaho): A 200-ft. saucer allegedly settled to earth and sped off with a steer.
• September 11, 1956 (Durham, N.C.): A 'Saturn-like' object, silvery and spinning, was seen moving east.
• September 16, 1956 (Bronx, N.Y.): A deep-yellow, pulsating, cigar-shaped object was observed.

Letters To The Editors

One letter from James Moseley of Fort Lee, New Jersey, addresses objections to his 'radiation story' published in SAUCER NEWS. Moseley states his information comes from a reliable source, not a 'pseudo-scientist.' He argues that not all scientists agree on radiation safety and points to government censorship. Moseley clarifies that 'true' saucers are Earth-made, but other phenomena, like those in Fort, are not necessarily Earth-made vehicles. He emphasizes that his article focused on the cause of official silence regarding UFOs, not on solving the mystery itself.

Post Scripts

This section provides brief updates:

• Captain Hardin is no longer in charge of Project Blue Book; Captain Gregory has replaced him and is reportedly interested in the job.
• CSI member is actively involved with the local GOC.
• Derek Dempster resigned as editor of Flying Saucer Review, succeeded by Brinsley LePoer Trench.
• The British Flying Saucer Club has closed, but the Flying Saucer News will continue.
• Gray Barker's Saucerian Bulletin features an article by Michel on the European 'flap' of Sept-Oct 1954, predicting another 'flap' after October based on a 26-month cycle.
• Edith Kermit Roosevelt reviewed Major Keyhoe's 'F.S. Conspiracy,' finding it marshals too many unexplained phenomena to dismiss lightly, but doubts serious 'conspiracy' charges due to the difference between believers and non-believers.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the perceived secrecy and lack of transparency by the U.S. Air Force regarding UFO investigations, the detailed documentation of numerous UFO sightings, and the ongoing efforts of civilian research groups like CSI to gather and disseminate information. The editorial stance is critical of official dismissals and supportive of serious, scientific inquiry into the UFO phenomenon, advocating for public access to relevant data and reports. The newsletter actively encourages reader participation by urging them to contact their elected officials.