MEMORANDUM FOR DIRECTOR OF INTELLIGENCE A TTN:l)-Col T. R. Johnson 1. Forwarded herewith are copies of correspondence referred to this office by the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, from Congressman J . E. Moss, Chairman of t h e House Sub - C o mmittee on Government Information. Congresaman Moss' letter is seli. e xplana tory. 2. It is requested that t his office b e furnished information upon which to base a reply to questions set forth by Congressman Moss. Further, request that all questions contained in the above mention e d correspondence be answere d in detail s o far as possible. 3. Necessary coordination i s requested a s provided in paragraph 4, Suspense, 1600 hours, 25 June 1956. 5, Any additional inq uirie s may be addresse d t o Major E. L. Secrest, SAFLL-3, Ext. 5-3531 /s/ Harry E. Morrill Lt Colonel , USAF Deputy Chief of Investigations Division Office of L egislative Liaison 8 4th Cong r eao Congress of the United States House of Representa tives Government Information Sub-Committee o f t h e C ommittee on Government Operations Honorable Donald A. Quarles Secretary of the A i r Force Department of Defense Was hington, D . C . D ear Mr. S e cretary: It ia the understanding of t h e H ouse Governmen t Information Sub-Committee that the A i r Force 'a " full report" on u nidentifie d flying objects entitled, "United States Air Force Project, Blu e Book, Special Report N o . 14, "was issued in Octo ber 1955. The Sub-Committee has received complaint s that this report , w hile not classifie d , is not available to the public ex c e p t a t considerab l e expens e o f time and tnoney, since individual s must perso n ally visit t h e Pentagon i n order t o read the r e p o rt. In v iew o f t his fact, c o uld you tell u s e x a ctly ho w m any cop ies of this report were printed and t o w h o m thes e copi~ent ?f!to uld Y'Ou a l s o tell u how many r eque sts ou have recei ve d f o r - S p ecial Rep o r t ~? Also, b~many individuals went to the P entagon t o r ead the r eport after i t s re l e ase. {' Since our i n for mation is to t h e effect tha t far more r equests have been made than t here ar e copies availa b l e , c a n you tell u s wh a t the Air Fo rce has d o n e to satisfy t hese r e q u e s t s ? 3. U the information in the r e port is being withheld from th e p u b l i c or any specific reas o n , w e would like t o kn.ow t hat reason. If the Air Fo r c e claims any statutory auth o rity for withholding infor m a t i o n in the r eport, will y o u please cite such statutor y authority . .:!:If t h e informa tion is being withheld u n d e r specific Air Force rule or regul ation, would you please cite suc h r ule o r regulation and provid e copy. Sin c erely yo urs, l s i J o h n E. Moss C h airma n IAILL-3/L ,ol.Jor Hfl/nt/,'V-'Iit4/"ffll41"-""' (MaJ , Secret' cal rue In. D1. 73J tr Coasr Mo tt4 17 Jllll 56, t.o 'erq or A7 re into concenUni Blue ~ reod AllJr) :10 J~a 56 v/.,. 22 JIUI 56. M..., t.o D1r ot l 11t.el eel into l!pOil vbicb t.o ba a rep}T prepd 11!r DIY, D1Y 21 Jla 56 v/..u lEOO hr, 2S JIUI 56, LlrJ rec<l .. ldllei_II~M~ -t1a ATIC 11!r vq or bucbl1p traa Intel il6d. llir Lt..Col Jola-dt4 27 Jllll 56. Ur) prep 1: fwd till rep}T t.o Cbon Mo .. 28 Jllll &. ret.JPed 29 Jllll 56 hie h ill rep}T to 7011r letter or 17 J,_ 1956 111 'IIIIi 7 0 requea inton.a~ioo t.be repor on 111'\ide t.itied flT obje c t.. DISTRIBUTIOIII AFUrl, AFOI!Ir:;;CAV, AFIS, AFGC, ;)1.73 Note, IC memo dtd 1'116 by Intel AFOIII-X JUD Sgd J obrl C, (See buckal1p Ei'1Juoen,eol,UMF sed Lt.,Col. J obrlacn) LV ~ lolllloM, llboaw ra. .Ur reo llaa .., ia"-'i of vi\lolloU. t.hl.a 1ato-t.1 ..... ~ :l.af-.W. awallallola t.lu'oll8b .U po .. J.bl e 111111 .....-.blo - rallol .loha t . Clla~, Sllbo a ,.,_ lilfoma\ oa t.1.M on c-cr.. oa UM o! . ...-ta~h'ea ( Si<:Jled\ Douald A.. Quar1se ~ FOR DIIIIC'roR OF I!flE.LIGBIIC! TTN: Lt Col T . R. Johnaon , APOI!f-X lliB.JECT: Propoeed Reply by the Secretary of the Air Force t o the Letter from The Hon orabl e J ohn E . Moao, Chairman, Government Information Sub-Committee of t he Commit tee on Government Operations l. The folloving i s the suggested material for Secretary l.(ua.rles' reply to the aubject letter: a . Although the "full report" ( over 300 pagu) on unidentified flying object s entitl e d "United Stetes Air Force Project .Blue Book, Special Report Rr. 14" ie not availabl e for vide aprea4 dietri'buti on because of prohibitive c osta, there i a a SUmmary e ntitled "U.s. Air Force Summary of Events and Information Concerning the Unidentified Flying ObJect Program" and there ia a lae a copy of the Air Force Pre .. Release on Uni dentified F lying Objects 'by the Department of Defense , Office of Public Information, vhic h are availabl e on requea t in any quantity desired. b . In reply to the queotiona aske d i n the aecond paragraph of subject letter, the following information is submitted: One hundred copies ot Projec t Blue Book Special Report were l'X'inted 'by the Air Technic a l Intelligenc e Center ( ATIC) and sent out in accordance vi th the '-.~ normal Air Force distribution list, inc luding the '-. Department of Defense, Offic e of Public Information, vhich distributed needed copies to ib East and West Coast Offices. fl.~ ~ ( 2 ) The Air Techni c a l Intellige nc e Center bas rece i ved y ~ eight inquiries concerning thio report -tvo of these ,_,~ '. , ~f inquiries requeoted copies of the r eport and the "e,. remaining six aaked where to go in or cler to aee it. ~ ~( ~-"(' ,J The Department of Defense, Office of Public Information baa received from 300 t o 350 requests t or int'ormation "' ~' 'f>..--2~ concerning Special Report Nr. 14; most of these i n quirie . a' :---"<.,. came from etuclente in e lementary ochoola' high ocboolo ~ '/_ ~\: ~ and collegeo. Very tev requests have caoo fran e c i ent1ata ';( ~ ~ ~)( or other c onocientioua reaearchera; however , one State .., ~ (; Univeroity baa requested and been granted permiasion t o Me.., tor D/I, lubJ1 Propoee Jepl y by tbe 8ecretu'7 ot the 13 to tl1e Ltr frllll The Honorable Jolin 1. 110118 ( 3) Betveen eight end ten individuale wnt to the Pentagon to reed the Report after ita releua . c , lleplying t o tbe third peregrepb of subJect letter it -.y be stated, in partial reP8tition of the previou. statemen t , thnt: ( l ) M.'IC has printed and dietributed 100 c opiu ot the lleport . (2) The total nllllber ot requ .. ta tor the actual Report or tor intnr-.tion thereon ie aa tollova: 350 requests to the PIO, 8 requute to M.'IC and 10 visits to the Pentagon to aee the lie port (the actual percentap 1n these requests tor copies ot the tuU report 1a extremely a&ll, probably lese then l~). BecaUH ot the technical nature and length ot the Report, only the required nlllll>er ot copies tor ottic1el distribution were printed. The coat ot printing enough copiee tor distribution to the I>Ublic, through euch outlets aa public libreriee, acedeJa1c institutions and eo forth, would be prohibitive (tram *10.00 to *15.00 P8r copy, depending on the quantity). In viev ot thia the 13 haa counted on the SUIIII!Iel'y and the Preea Releaae, mentioned earlier, to aatiety the demand tor information . Request tor infnr-.tion ere handled, first by repl ying to the specific question aaked; aecond, by inclosing a copy ot the a.-z.y and the Pre11 Release and finally, by referring the writer to the neereet available Report llr. 14 tor peruaal. In rare caae1 ot obvious need, M.'IC torverda a copy of the lleport, on loan, or - it available for reproduction. d. Replying t o the last paragre.ph of subject letter the 13 hna relaaaed Project Blue Book Special Report lfr. 14 to the public, under the authari&ation ot 13 liege. 200-2 end 190-16 , Mal'ked copies ot t hese are inclosed. The 13 haa no intention ot v1 thholding this information trom the public. On the contrary, the Air J'orce haa ma4e a definite ettort to get this information to the public; at a press c onference held in the Pentagon, on 25 Augu.t 1955, the Secretary of the Air J'orce preHnted a S_.,y of Spec1el Report lfr, 14 and a preea release. In addition to thie, a sufficient nlllll>er of' copies ot the Report vas made available tor study at thia meeting. e. In c onclu.ion it ie believed thet a poaaible and reaaonabl e means ot ltnping the public informed, without undue expense to the Go-..rnment, are being util1r.ed. The variou. Pree1 Al8ociationa and at llallo for D/I, lklbJI hopoM4 llepl.)' b;y tile llecntary ot tile Ill to tile Ltr ,..,. '1'be IIDIIarable Jolm 1 . Noaa l.eut ODII :prCIIIIiJiallt Dational pell'1o41cal bent covved tile aub,)ect thoroughly) thb t..:t .-y ..:count for tile relatiftl;y ~l nUIIIbar ot 1nqu1r1ea on thia .. port ....,.1ft4 b;y the Air J'orce. II, UUF Pre a a Be leaae JOHN G !RIICSBII Colonel, USAl" Deputy Ccamander