1955 04 00 Sir Gershtein scan

Magazine Overview

Title: SIR!
Issue: April
Date: 1950s (implied by content and cover price)
Publisher: SIR! A MAGAZINE FOR MALES
Country: USA
Language: English
Cover Price: 25c

This issue of SIR! Magazine, a publication for males, prominently features the headline "FLYING SAUCER FAKERS" on its cover, suggesting a critical or debunking approach to UFO phenomena. The cover also includes a provocative image of a woman and a smaller headline about "THE GIRL WHO PROPAGATED THE RACE." The main article, "FLYING SAUCER FAKERS," by A. Smith-Henderson, Ph.D., D.Sc., directly challenges the notion that flying saucers are alien spacecraft.

Flying Saucer Fakers

The lead article by A. Smith-Henderson, Ph.D., D.Sc., asserts that according to the Air Force, the theory of saucers coming from outer space is "the biggest myth of the 20th century." The author criticizes numerous books and so-called "experts" who claimed saucers were piloted by creatures from Mars, Venus, and other planets, dismissing these accounts as "fairy tales." The article specifically targets Frank Scully's book, "Behind the Flying Saucer," which claimed two flying saucers from Venus had crashed in the Southwestern United States and that "little men" were found in the wreckage. The author notes that Scully's informants, two geophysicists, were later involved in an oil well exploration scandal.

Another prominent figure criticized is Donald E. Keyhoe, a retired Major of the U.S. Marines, whose book "Flying Saucers from Outer Space" is described as being written "in a cloud of fantasy without ample evidence." Keyhoe's theory that the world must prepare for saucer landings and accept the possibility of differing alien forms is presented, along with his quote about the potential "greatest adventure of all time." However, the article contrasts this with President Eisenhower's recent press conference statement, where he assured the nation that the Air Force had confirmed saucers are not coming from the planets.

The author highlights that President Eisenhower stated 90 percent of flying saucer sightings are identifiable objects such as balloons, aircraft, atmospheric reflections, or migratory birds. Other explanations include pieces of paper, advertising blimps, or kites. The article also mentions the renewed emphasis on studying flying saucer phenomena following photographs from Sicily, but notes that the Air Force considers still photographs "worthless as evidence."

The piece recounts the "little-men" hysteria that swept through rural areas of France and Italy, with housewives reporting saucers, and a mayor in France issuing a decree forbidding flying saucers. It details a bizarre account from Jean Darcy in France about a four-foot-tall man who entered a flying saucer, and reports from Italy about dwarfs stealing items and escaping in a "spool-shaped flying machine." These stories are presented as proof of the boundless power of human imagination when fueled by sensational "expert" claims.

The article continues by explaining that the "sauceritis" craze intensified after World War II, with people looking to the sky for answers. It quotes an Air Force official stating that people are prone to seeing strange things in the sky. The vast number of aircraft and the more than 500 organizations sending test balloons contribute to misidentifications. A new U.S. Navy experimental plane, shaped like a pancake, is also cited as a common source of confusion.

The magazine reiterates that since the initial uproar on June 24, 1947, following a pilot's report of nine disks near Mount Ranier, Washington, the public has been fed "cock-and-bull stories." Astronomers are quoted as pointing out the immense distances involved, making interplanetary travel within a human lifetime highly improbable.

The issue also includes a fictional short story titled "THE END" about a character named Eddie and a blonde kid, which seems unrelated to the main UFO theme. Additionally, there is a prominent advertisement for "RUPTURE-EASER" trusses.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The primary theme of this issue is the debunking of flying saucer phenomena and the claims of alien visitations. The magazine adopts a skeptical and critical stance towards UFO reports and the authors who promote them, labeling them as "fakers" and their accounts as "myths" and "fairy tales." The editorial stance clearly aligns with official government and military explanations, emphasizing that most sightings can be attributed to mundane objects and phenomena, and that there is a lack of credible evidence for extraterrestrial contact. The magazine seems to aim at dispelling public hysteria and promoting a rational, evidence-based perspective on the flying saucer craze of the era.