The 1954 French flap:

The "saucers" and "cigars" invade the skies of France

WITNESS REPORTS ABOUND AND AN MP CALLS FOR THE CREATION OF A TECHNICAL COMMISSION

Flying saucers and other mysterious "cigars" are appearing in increasing numbers in the skies over France, and witness reports are pouring in.

One of our most glamorous actresses herself claimed to have seen, Tuesday evening at 7:40 p.m. above Place des Invalides, two glowing spheres... the larger of which resembled a big star.

A much more detailed account of another "phenomenon" was provided yesterday by Mr. Ravot, a butcher in Saint-Fargeau, near Melun. Mr. Ravot was driving on National Route 7 when, around 8 p.m., he noticed "a large red ball the size of an orange." He stopped the car and, along with his young daughter, observed the object moving at high speed in a back-and-forth pattern, playing hide-and-seek with the clouds.

To be sure he wasn't hallucinating, the witness called over neighbors from a nearby house: Mr. Binet, a Parisian terrace builder, and his wife, who rushed out to see.

At first they were disappointed - the "saucer" was hidden. But it kindly revealed itself once more before vanishing for good.

Nine reports for, and one Against

All these stories have encouraged other witnesses to share accounts previously kept secret.

On September 13, near Hirson, an industrialist from Origny-sur-Thiérache reported seeing "a huge orange disc suspended above the clouds" which fled at breakneck speed at 12:30 AM.

That same day in Carpiquet (Calvados), a local merchant, Mr. Leclerc, saw a bright, stationary, oval object tilted at a 45-degree angle.

On September 15 at 8 p.m., near Besançon, a military postal worker spotted a red object flying horizontally, and the next night, two civilian employees from the same base saw a pink oval disc at 11:30 p.m.

On the 18th, the object seen above the Puy-de-Dôme was also reportedly spotted in Lodève (Hérault).

On the 19th, Louis Moll, the rural constable in Oberdorff (Moselle), saw at 9:15 p.m. a bright light descend rapidly, change color upon touching the ground, and take "the shape of a small bus." It flew away after 40 seconds.

On the 20th, Mr. Citerne [sic], a farmer in Alleyrat (Corrèze), saw at 9 p.m. a "cigar" flying in a jerky, vertical motion.

On the 21st, two gendarmes, Mr. Courtaud and Mr. Peninon, observed from 9:15 to 9:45 p.m. above Fleuranderie (Indre) "a luminous craft hovering in the sky at about 1,500 meters, then two others, greenish in color, at a higher altitude."

On the 22nd, in addition to Mr. Ravot, about thirty residents from the Sigournais region, near La Rochelle, saw a cigar-shaped craft enveloped in bluish-violet vapor in the late afternoon. Dr. Mercier from Le Puy also reported seeing a round, silent, shiny object - twice.

Carpiquet, finally, almost became the scene of another sighting, but the bright spot seen by numerous witnesses was identified: it was a weather balloon.

Engineer-General Paricaud, technical advisor at the Ministry of the Air, shared his view yesterday in light of this flood of mysterious reports:

- No new information has emerged from these often contradictory testimonies. Most describe phenomena we've frequently encountered and explained. Let's recall that the Americans, once agitated by this issue, regained their composure once specialized technical commissions admitted they could not find a single abnormal event in the sky. Radar only detects well-known electrical phenomena or entirely ordinary aircraft.

It is indeed notable that most of these glowing-disc-type "saucers" appear at dusk or in the early night hours, when sunlight can still cause reflections in the upper atmosphere. Professor Haffner's comments on atmospheric electricity also seem to offer an explanation.

Nevertheless, a Seine MP, Mr. De Léotard, is concerned about this growing obsession. He has asked the Secretary of State for the Armed Forces (Air) whether "instructions have been issued to ensure these phenomena are systematically and scientifically observed," and whether "these saucers or cigars could be pursued for closer examination," so the public can be accurately informed.

The minister's response is not yet known.

But we already know that the American fighter squadrons assigned to intercept saucers never found anything - and were disbanded for lack of targets.

R.S.