Memorandum: Flying Saucers

This memorandum, dated 13 April 1956, is addressed to the Deputy Director of Intelligence from Herbert Scoville, Jr., the Assistant Director of Scientific Intelligence. The document serves as a response to a previous memorandum dated 25 March 1956 regarding 'Flying Saucers'. The primary focus of the document is to address an article published in the French magazine 'Match'. Scoville argues that the article fails to provide sufficient information to permit a proper classification or identification of the U.F.O.s mentioned, suggesting that the content was likely exaggerated to create a more sensational story. He contrasts the reporting in 'Match' with the methodology of the U.S. Air Force's 'Blue Book' investigation, noting that concentrated efforts to track down information in the United States successfully reduced the percentage of unknown and insufficient information cases from 25 percent to 10 percent. Scoville asserts that a thorough investigation of the reports in 'Match' would likely lead to identification, similar to previous cases. The document confirms that the Office of Scientific Intelligence maintains close liaison with the Air Force Technical Intelligence Center regarding reports of unidentified flying objects, including those originating in foreign countries. Furthermore, the memorandum anticipates that the upcoming astronomical event on 7 September 1956, when Mars will be at its nearest position to Earth in a long period, may precipitate a large number of reports concerning 'flying objects' and 'little green men'. Scoville notes that the Naval Observatory in Washington attaches no important implications to this event beyond the opportunity for routine scientific study. The Office of Scientific Intelligence commits to monitoring the situation closely and keeping the recipient informed regarding more spectacular published reports. The document concludes by noting that a copy of the 'Match' article and a rough translation are attached.