Just Cause - 1995 09 - No 45 - New Series

Magazine Overview

Title: JUST CAUSE
Issue: NUMBER 45
Date: September 1995
Publisher: CAUS (Citizens Against UFO Secrecy)
Editor: Barry Greenwood

This issue of Just Cause, published by Citizens Against UFO Secrecy (CAUS), focuses on historical aerial phenomena and UFO research, with a particular emphasis on the 1917 "airship flap" in New England and a critical look at the official Air Force report on the Roswell incident.

Editorial

The editor, Barry Greenwood, addresses recent comments regarding "Cowflop Quarterly," a publication by Robert Todd. Greenwood describes "Cowflop Quarterly" as presenting an alternative viewpoint critical of mainstream UFOlogy and reflecting unhappiness with the current state of UFO research. He notes that CAUS shares this sentiment, having lamented the lack of progress in UFO research since the MJ-12 era. The editor states that CAUS has resorted to historical research to understand how UFOlogy arrived at its current problematic state, suggesting that "Cowflop Quarterly" also explores these historical matters.

A Clarification

This section clarifies a previous criticism of the General Accounting Office (GAO) report. The editor apologizes for unjustly criticizing the GAO for not mentioning the Vandenberg desk logs. A more complete version of the logs shows that an entry from July 7, 1947, discussed a downed flying disc, but it was a hoaxed Texas disc, not related to Roswell. Vandenberg's logs indicated no discussion of Roswell during that period. The moral is to not read things too quickly.

Full Air Force Roswell Report Now Available

The Government Printing Office has released the complete Air Force report on the Roswell incident, titled "The Roswell Report: Fact vs Fiction in the New Mexico Desert." This massive publication is described as a telephone book-sized tome, largely containing attachments to the original September 1994 report. The document rivals the Condon Report in size but focuses on a single case. It aims to dispel the notion that the Air Force's investigation was superficial, though it concludes that Project Mogul was responsible for the Roswell debris. The report sought hard evidence and interviewed key witnesses, but none offered definitive proof of an alien conclusion. The Air Force opted for the Project Mogul explanation in the absence of alien evidence. The report is recommended for anyone interested in government UFO studies.

Project 1947 Continues

Jan Aldrich has scanned over 3300 newspapers for stories on the 1947 UFO wave and is preparing for further expeditions. However, due to a withdrawal of funding, his efforts will slow down significantly by early 1996. Aldrich's project is described as the greatest search effort ever conducted by a small group on a UFO wave, and interested parties are encouraged to contact him to support its continuation. Aldrich possesses comprehensive knowledge to aid potential researchers.

New Early Airship Flap Discovered

This section details a significant "airship flap" that occurred in April 1917 in central New England, predating the Arnold sighting. The flap began with a mystery airplane sighted on April 14th near Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Reports describe an aircraft flying at high altitude, making noise, and sometimes emitting smoke. Several guards from the Sixth Massachusetts National Guard reportedly fired at the object. Subsequent reports emerged from inland areas like Rochester, New Hampshire, and Dover, New Hampshire, describing similar aerial phenomena. Residents of Milton and Manchester also reported seeing "airships" and "mysterious airplanes." The object was again sighted in Portsmouth on April 16th, and Barnstead reported an overflight on the 17th. Reports continued into the 18th with sightings in York Beach, Maine, and Hampton, New Hampshire. Sightings spread to Maine on April 20th, with reports of a machine carrying two green lights. In North Conway, mysterious lights were seen near Kearsarge mountain. Charles Churchill reported an airplane circling Tumble Down Dick mountain on April 30th. Earlier, on March 24th, an aircraft was reported over Rollinsford, New Hampshire, with an "interrupted trail of fire." In July, Haverhill, Massachusetts, reported a mysterious airplane, and a similar sighting occurred near the Franklin Depot train station in August.

Possible explanations at the time included German activity, given the ongoing World War I, with speculation about secret German bases in New England. However, some reports were attributed to misobservations, war hysteria, or even mundane explanations like telephone repairmen using spotlights. The Dover, N.H. Foster's Daily Democrat suggested "hallucinations" due to war hysteria. Other incidents were explained by events like blasting tree stumps or a man on a telephone pole.

The issue also mentions a discussion of New York/Canada border overflights by mysterious aircraft in 1915, raising concerns about German clandestine bases in the U.S. The editor questions whether these aerial scares were mistakes or if domestic or foreign aviators were responsible, noting a lack of conclusive evidence.

Research Notes

This section includes a query for British readers regarding contemporary accounts of the "Angel of Mons" reports during World War I, which involved sightings of peculiar light phenomena and peculiar shapes during a German onslaught. The editor is interested in whether more detailed objective accounts or official British military records exist. The editor also thanks Paul Hughes for leads on the 1917 New England flap and notes that Hughes will search for early 20th-century UFO stories. Finally, a FOIA request has been filed with the FCC regarding the "War of the Worlds" radio panic and subsequent radio panics, with the belief that these events significantly affected early government UFO policies.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The magazine consistently adopts a critical stance towards mainstream UFOlogy, questioning unsubstantiated claims and advocating for rigorous historical research. The editorial emphasizes the need to reconstruct the past to understand the present state of UFO research. There is a strong focus on documented historical cases, particularly those predating the modern UFO era, such as the 1917 airship flap. The publication also engages with official government reports, offering commentary and analysis. The overall stance is one of skepticism towards sensationalism and a preference for evidence-based investigation, even if it leads to mundane explanations or challenges popular UFO narratives.