1955 05 00 Sir Gershtein scan

Magazine Overview

Title: SIR!
Issue: May
Date: May 1955
Type: A Magazine for Males
Cover Headline: The Song the Jelke Canaries Won't Sing

Letters to the Editor

Saucer Rhubarb

This section features reader correspondence, primarily focusing on the topic of flying saucers and extraterrestrial life.

Darold Powers from Washington, Iowa, writes that "Our space friends DO know our language" and that people who have received voice messages report perfect English. Powers believes that the interest of these "space friends" is not merely analytical but stems from a deep concern for humanity's spiritual development. He asserts that saucer people have been visiting Earth for centuries, but only in the current generation has the public become receptive to the idea of extra-terrestrial life. Powers criticizes the use of atomic weapons, stating that "space friends have WARNED us to discontinue experiments with atomic weapons," and that such actions are "upsetting the fundamental building blocks of nature." He also touches upon the theoretical possibility of time travel, referencing photos from the Brookhaven National Laboratories showing electrons appearing in the future and vanishing backward in time, and Dr. Dirac's theories on "anti-nucleous anti-atoms."

W. C. Hall, the author of "Flying Saucers on My Ranch" (February issue), is questioned by Gentlemen from Seward, Ill. The writer wonders about the authenticity of Hall's story, asking if it was thoroughly checked or just written for monetary gain and publicity. He suggests that if the story were true, Hall should have been able to provide a picture of the craft or the beings emerging from it. The writer also references Charles Fort's books, stating that they leave "no doubt as to the existence of spacecraft in the material world that do NOT come from THIS planet." He believes that some sightings are of craft that are not of a material substance familiar to us, but rather exist at a "much higher rate of oscillation or vibratory rate." These craft, he posits, come from a different dimension and enter ours by lowering their vibratory rate. He speculates that propulsion methods might include atomic power, cosmic rays, or magnetism.

LeRoy Gobbell from Seaside, Calif., directly addresses the article "Flying Saucers on My Ranch" by W. C. Hall. Gobbell expresses strong disbelief, suggesting that Hall's experience was likely due to excessive consumption of alcohol, referring to it as "corn squeezins" from a moonshiner's still in Kentucky. He advises Hall to "change his brand" to avoid further "hallucinations."

The Haystack Girl

This section addresses a previous article titled "Back to the Haystack" by Edythe Simmer.

Edythe Simmer is the subject of a letter from an unnamed writer who questions if her article was her first sale and if she is a successful writer or an "angry woman" whose "imagination" is not being bought. The writer strongly disagrees with Simmer's opinion of men, which is described as a "spurious allegation." The letter then proceeds to argue why men are "better than women." It states that while both sexes are born, women develop a different ideology, feeling a need to get married and find a man. The writer claims women are not successful unless they find a man and criticizes their efforts to enhance their appearance through cosmetics or clothing to achieve this goal.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The magazine appears to cater to a male audience interested in a variety of topics, including sensationalized accounts of UFOs and extraterrestrial encounters, alongside more controversial discussions on social and gender issues. The editorial stance, as reflected in the letters, seems to encourage open discussion and debate on these subjects, even when opinions are sharply divided and expressed with strong language. The inclusion of speculative science, such as time travel theories, alongside personal anecdotes and critiques, suggests an aim to engage readers with a mix of the extraordinary and the provocative.