The article below was published in the newspaper The Idaho State Journal, Pcatello, Idaho, USA, on page 1, on April 10, 1950.
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BOISE (UP) -- Kenneth Arnold, the private pilot who made the first report of flying saucers, said Monday he's convinced there is a definite link between them and the mysterious submarines reported off U. S. coastlines.
In fact, the Boise businessman wouldn't be surprised if they turned out to be one and the same thing.
He agrees with those who think the strange aircraft might be space ships from another planet. And he doesn't scoff at reports that "little men" have fled from alleged crackups of flying saucers in Mexico and Southern California.
"Who am I to say that no such men exist'" says Arnold. "My mind is always open to anything. I haven't seen any of the tiny men myself. Bit I have letters from persons who have seen them. And they're serious persons, too."
Despite this, the air force and even President Truman have repeatedly denied knowing anything about the flying saucers.
Arnold's collection of flying saucer material includes tape recordings, photographs, newspaper and magazine clippings and piles of technical data. His daily mail is crammed with new information from well wishers, cranks ad scoffers.
Arnold touched off the flying saucer stories nearly three years ago. He claims that all he did was file a "routine report" when he landed his small private plane at Yakima, Wash., on a balmy June day in 1947.
Arnold's story of having seen nine peculiar, tail-less aircraft over Mt. Rainier first was told to Al Baxter, general manager of the Central Aircraft company at Yakima. Baxter listened politely to Arnold's story of the amazing speed of the craft, how they flew in a diagonal chain-like formation, and other details. But Baxter told his friend frankly that he didn't believe him.
"I told the truth then," said Arnold, "and I'm telling the truth now. I've seen those flying discs three times since 1947." Furthermore, the press misquoted me when I called the objects flying saucers."
Arnold said he merely described the objects in flight as appearing to skim through the air like a saucer over water. He said they wavered somewhat as they flew along.
But that as it may, the whole business had become such a headache to Arnold that he says he has to make up his mind whether to forget it all - or make a fulltime job of studying flying discs and other mysterious objects.
He's particularly interested in experimental work with radar being carried on at Arcata, Calif. Arnold said he obtained pictures of strange images on the radar, called radar angels, which technicians were unable to explain. He believes the inexplicable objects are just another link in the flying saucer story.
AMARILLO, Texas (UP) -- Twelve-year-old David Lightfoot claimed Monday that he touched a "flying saucer" and that it sprayed him with a gas that raised red welts on his face and arm.
Many persons tended to believe that Davis, as a true son of Texas, might be getting an early start as a teller of tall tale. But his story was backed by his cousin, Charles Lightfoot, 9.
The boys were fishing 10 miles northeast of here Saturday, they said, when something "like a balloon" sailed over their heads and landed beyond a slight rise.
David ran to it. He said it was the size of an auto tire, about 18 inches thick, and curved on the bottom with a top looking like a flat plate.
"The part between the top and bottom was real red, like it was on fire," he said.
The top half was still spinning as he approached. The disc was blue-gray in color and red-hot otherwise, he said.
"I dived for it but my fingers barely touched it," he said. "It was slick like a snake and plenty hot."
Then the top started spinning faster, "made a whistling noise and took off," he said. It was out of sight in 10 seconds.
He said that as it left the ground, the gadget released a gas or spray which reddened his arm and face and caused small welts. His father applied skin balm which removed the welts, but the redness remained.
Charles couldn't run as fast as David but said he was within 100 yards of the object when it took off.
To: Kenneth Arnold or Newspapers 1940-1949.
