THE LITTLE LISTENING POST

Magazine Overview

Title: THE LITTLE LISTENING POST
Issue: Vol. 1 No. 4
Date: Copyrighted 1954
Publisher: Gray Barker Collection
Location: Washington, D.C.

This issue of The Little Listening Post provides a collection of news items, reports, and commentary on a variety of subjects, with a strong emphasis on UFOs, space exploration, and fringe science topics. The publication aims to capture "news in capsule" from the "news capital of the world."

Key Articles and Reports

Space Exploration and Interplanetary Flight

The issue opens with "SPACE AHOY!" reporting on the burgeoning interest in interplanetary flight, with NBC Nov. 7, '54, noting predictions from Chicago Rocket Society members about merging similar societies into an American Astronautical Research Federation and holding a world conference. Paul Harvey is cited as a commentator on "The Moon Race is on!"

UFO Sightings and Encounters

A significant portion of the magazine is dedicated to UFO phenomena. An editorial from the Kansas City Times, 8/26, expresses a desire for saucers to land and explain themselves, lamenting the "suspense." Reports include:

• Italian Sightings: A detailed account from Mrs. James Hogg III in Florence describes numerous saucer sightings over Italy, including formations over Livorno and along the Adriatic coast. Fishermen reportedly deserted their boats in terror. The phenomenon of "white spun glass" was observed and captured. A football game in Florence was halted by the appearance of flying saucers.
• Close Encounter in Italy: The report details a landing scene where "stones were thrown at the well meaning Martians." The figures retreated to a disc, and one encounter involved a man being bitten by his dog while trying to confront the visitors. Witnesses reported red eyes from intense light, and the journalist cautiously noted that over 100 people swore to having seen and heard the event.
• Muroc Incident: The story of a saucer on the ground at Muroc persists, with "prodigious checking" yielding "second-hand nature" verification.
• General Sightings: Samplings include saucers seen near the Pentagon, photos from Estes Park, Colorado, and sightings over Austria. Life Magazine is mentioned for covering French sightings, and a French mayor reportedly issued a decree forbidding saucers to land.

Scientific and Technological Developments

• Radar Curtain: A TV report on 9/26 discusses a "Twenty to Forty Billion Dollars for a Radar Curtain" around the U.S., questioning its effectiveness.
• Cancer Research: A new chemical injection is described that lodges in cancer tissue and glows red under ultraviolet light. In Canada, scientists have discovered a new type of "bomb," cobalt 60 radiation, for cancer treatment, saving many victims.
• Ectoplasm: Scientists are reportedly learning to "make" ectoplasm, described as "internal life substance," but cannot preserve it. Similar "nylon-like threads" have been reported falling from the sky and captured by radio engineers, but disintegrate upon touch.
• Fourth Dimension: The issue poses the question, "IS SCIENCE EDGING UP ON THE FOURTH DIMENSION?" It notes that atoms are undergoing transmutation, suggesting a shift in atomic structure and the potential for changing living things by radiation and speeding up genetic mutations.
• Atomic Waste: A proposal to rocket atomic radioactive waste to Mars or Venus is discussed as a solution to prevent Earth from becoming uninhabitable, citing Prof. Freeman of Rutgers.
• Radar Device: A tiny radar device enables Air Force craft to "see" 240 miles, with a 5-inch screen capable of seeing all around a large lake.
• Interplanetary Space Ship: Reports suggest the Soviet Union is rushing plans for an interplanetary space ship, potentially using German scientists recruited from Peenemunde. William P. Lear warns that the West may lose its power margin if it doesn't keep pace.

Psychic Phenomena and Consciousness

• Psychic Research Recognition: Two chairs for Psychic Research are reportedly being endowed for universities.
• Spirit Radio: Researchers from London are working on an instrument for reaching the "next plane" without a human medium, aiming to avoid "mental Coloration." They are also developing an electronic device for diagnosing and healing diseases using normal frequencies.
• Orfeo Angelucci's Experience: Saucer author Orfeo Angelucci states his experiences were not mental but objective, suggesting others could have observed the same things, though perhaps interpreting them differently. He attributes his contact to understanding the "real structure of matter."
• George Adamski's Predictions: Adamski predicts an increase in sightings and contacts, leading to a "Cosmic Reality Age" where humanity becomes alerted to other inhabited planets and gains understanding of the vast universe.

Other News and Notes

• Washington D.C. News: The Voice of America has moved to Washington. The city's death rate is reportedly the lowest in history. Forty-two acres of land sacred to the old soldiers' home have been transferred for highway construction.
• Hypnotist Advertisement: A personal column notes a hypnotist advertising services to the War Department.
• International Astronautical Federation: Frederick C. Durant was re-elected President of the IAF, which has 8,500 members in 17 non-Communist countries.
• Atomic Bomb: The "hell bomb" is described as having no defense, with safety lying only in "World security." The hydrogen bomb is called "literally unearthly" and potentially capable of exploding violently or not at all.
• New Society of Midwives: This section frames the current era as the "birth of a New WORLD," with science and evolution as parents, and calls for volunteers to join the "spiritual" Midwives. Saucers are reported to be overseeing this process.
• Detroit Flying Saucer Club Petition: The club petitions the President, stating that government silence on UFOs reflects poorly on American citizens.
• Frank Edwards: A notice asks readers to write to Thos. O'Neill of Mutual Broadcasting System for information on when newscaster Frank Edwards will return to the air.
• Subscription Information: The publication is available for four issues for one dollar, with costs being high due to personal correspondence.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The Little Listening Post consistently focuses on phenomena that challenge conventional scientific and societal understanding. There is a clear fascination with UFOs, extraterrestrial contact, and the potential for humanity's expansion into space. The publication seems to advocate for openness regarding these subjects, criticizing government secrecy and encouraging a broader consciousness about the universe. The editorial stance appears to be one of curiosity, exploration, and a belief in the extraordinary, often presenting anecdotal evidence and speculative theories as significant findings. The use of phrases like "news in capsule" and "far-out Front" suggests an aim to present information outside the mainstream media.