Flying Saucer Review Vol. 20, No. 2

This issue of Flying Saucer Review (Vol. 20, No. 2, October 1974) provides a contemporary overview of the state of UFO research in France, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The editorial highlights a perceived disparity in the handling of UFO data, noting that while the United States and the United Kingdom often rely on debunking or negative attitudes, France has established a more structured approach. The document features an exclusive interview with the French Minister of Defence, Robert Galley, originally broadcast on France-Inter on February 21, 1974. In this interview, Minister Galley confirms that the French government has been collecting and studying eyewitness accounts of unidentified aerial phenomena since 1954. He explains that reports are gathered by the gendarmerie and forwarded to the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (C.N.E.S.) for scientific analysis. Galley emphasizes that the French government does not view these phenomena as a threat to national security, but rather as a subject requiring scientific investigation. He discusses specific instances, including radar sightings in Aquitaine during the 1950s and reports of luminous, spherical objects traveling at high speeds. The Minister stresses the importance of maintaining an open mind, noting that while some sightings are explained as interference or other known phenomena, a residue of unexplained cases persists. The journal also includes information regarding upcoming television documentaries in the United States, featuring Dr. J. Allen Hynek, and discusses the influence of the 1953 Robertson Committee on British media coverage of UFOs. The publication serves as both a record of official French government policy regarding UAP and a critique of the prevailing attitudes toward the subject in the English-speaking world.