UPDATE: The partial article appears to be an attempt to invoke the espionage laws in reference to the "flying disks" (see section 793-798 of Title 18 U.S. Code). It should be recalled that on the same page as stories of Roswell there was an ongoing story of spies who had stolen atomic secrets from the locked down and thought impenetrable Manhattan Projects labs. This appears the only place this article has been located - El Paso just south and east of those top-secret projects in New Mexico. This may explain the early fears of Communist sympathizers using the 'disks' to invoke fear. What else might this say? - M.H.
The source for the image is the FBI's files related to "UFO's" and found in their "Vault." There is no clear identification as to the source for this newspaper clipping. A scrawled letter before it with a couple of other clippings seems to suggest the San Antonio area of Texas but it is not clear. The article "First it's Flying Disks..." references a Palestine, Anderson Co., Texas event around 9 July 1947.
What really interested me was that cut off article below it..."Revealing Flying Disk Data May Bring Prosecution".....What? "Anyone willfully communicating information bearing on the defense or security of the nation."
Just what was THAT? Why was that printed? Who was behind that entire statement? Just what was going on?
In its historical context this event of the fire balls was reported in Palestine around July 9, 1947. FBI files reveal 10 July 1947 a memo between D.M. Ladd and C.G. Fitch concerning the "Flying Disks". Ladd had a discussion with General George F. Schulgen, Chief of Requirements of Intelligence Branch of Army Air Corps.
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| Apparently, a El Paso Times paper circa July 8, 1947. "Revealing Flying Disk Data..." |
Schulgen had informed Ladd that all faclities were on alert, instructed to collect all possible data about sightings, and noted one AAF pilot who said he saw one was "thoroughly interrogated" by the General and psychologists and the pilot was "adamant in his claims that he saw a flying disk..."
A paragraph followed with a "?" in the margin. "General Schulgen advised that the possibility exists that the first reported sightings of the so-called flying disks were fallacious and prompted by individuals seeking personal publicity or were reported for political reasons. He stated that if that was so, subsequent sightings might be the result of a mass hysteria. He pointed out that the thought exists that the first reported sightings might have been individuals of communist sympathies with a view to causing hysteria and fear of a secret Russian weapon." Just to when he dated the "first sightings" is unclear. The sightings of things in the sky in 1947 began as early as January and can be tracked in FBI files, Project Blue Book, and newspaper accounts all across the city and some of its major populated areas.
Schulgen tossed the FBI a bone by suggesting that they could work together and the FBI could track down those original witnesses and verify their intent in sharing the stories of sighting objects. Here may be the birth of the "Men in Black" mythos. The FBI had a look they were to achieve across the board with all agents. A standard dark suit, shoes, crisp white shirt and dark tie.
Then comes a truly interesting paragraph: "General Schulgen assured {BLANK} that there was no War Department or Navy department research projects presently being conducted which could n any way be tied up with the flying disks." The absence of any assurances about any Army or Army Air Corps projects may be significant. Such "weasel" phasing of words, a parsing of terms that speaks the truth just not all the truth, is very interesting here. It may be, also, that the War Department was synonymous with Army (read the original National Security Act of 1947. In that section about the Army they are first referred to as the War Department).
Here is one link to the memo in question, the other can be found on the FBI Vault site.
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