The article below was published in the daily newspaper France Soir, Paris, France, pages 1 and 7, on October 6, 1954.
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NAIROBI, October 5 (Reuter)
"Visitors from another world are observing the Earth and are probably drawing its geographical map. Lately, they have turned their attention to East Africa." These are the claims of the vice-president of the Astronomical Association of Kenya, Mr. G. Duncan Fletcher, following reports he received from numerous observers stating they had seen flying saucers.
Mr. Fletcher himself observed an object flying over Nairobi. He was then in his observatory with four friends.
"It was 1:40 a.m.," he said, "when a large glow appeared very low in the east, at about 700 meters altitude. The glow intensified to a pale yellow. The object rose, descended, and rose again before finally disappearing into the clouds."
Mr. Fletcher believes that the existence of flying saucers is beyond doubt. "Testimonies," he said, "come from very experienced observers from all parts of the globe." And he adds:
"The most reassuring aspect of the matter is that the unidentified flying objects do not appear to be piloted by beings with hostile intentions toward the inhabitants of our planet."
A BARREL one meter in diameter and two meters high, studded with luminous yellow studs and seemingly mounted on a pivot, was seen on the road from Montmoreau to Villebois by a young farmer from Charente, Mr. Jean Allans [sic], 27 years old. The craft disappeared quickly.
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Mr. André Lefèvre, a taxi driver who was parked last night around 8 p.m. at the port of Le Havre, saw a glowing disc rising into the sky to the west of Deauville, leaving behind a phosphorescent trail and a light smoke. Several sailors also observed the same craft.
Mr. and Mrs. Teyssier, from Saint-Etienne, who were camping in Aurec-sur-Loire (Haute-Loire), saw in the sky a luminous object resembling a large headlight moving at high speed at about 2,000 meters altitude.
At the same time, several people saw, above the steeple of Aurec, several similar craft that, after hovering momentarily, crossed the sky heading southwest.
AN OVAL DISC, five times larger than a star, was seen in Vondrecourt (Meuse) by Mr. and Mrs. Thomas, electricians, who observed it with binoculars as it moved from east to west. The two witnesses are considered absolutely credible by the gendarmes, who recorded their statement again.
A RED-ORANGE LUMINOUS DISC was seen above the hill of Sainte-Foy, south of the Fourvière basilica, by a journalist from Lyon. The same craft was seen in Epinac-les-Mines (Saône-et-Loire), in the north of the Rhône department, and in Isère, near Morestel.
A LUMINOUS DIAMOND-SHAPED OBJECT, moving southeast, was seen at the same time in Hagondange.
Flying saucers, cigars, discs, spheres, and other "flying" objects were seen in Chancelade (Corrèze), Willer (Haut-Rhin), Gouesnach, near Quimper, Ambazac (Haute-Vienne), Dijon, Marcoing, near Cambrai, Pommier (Indre), Rouen, Ajaccio, Cholet, and Vannes.
Flying saucers were seen in Côte d'Ivoire. The news became known through an official report sent to the governor by Mr. Vernhet, chief administrator of the Danane subdivision, a town located 500 kilometers northwest of Abidjan. The phenomena were observed on September 19 between 8:30 p.m. and 9:05 p.m. by the local population, the gendarmerie post chief, the chief physician of the medical center, Reverend Father Viars of the Lyon Missions, Mr. Vernhet, and his wife, who were all gathered in the residence courtyard.
In Aiguillon (Lot), Mr. Bouzerau and his wife observed, around 8:30 p.m., the maneuvers of three saucers followed by a flying cigar.
In the sky over Briançon, from 9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., a flying cigar was observed by credible witnesses. The first to see it was a gendarme, Mr. Roux. The craft was also seen in Mont-Genèvre by Mr. Paulain Balcet, deputy mayor, Mr. Falconnet, a hotelier, and others.
In Clamart, Mr. Brûlé, father of the cyclist, saw from his window at 73 Henri-Barbusse Avenue at 3:30 a.m. a red ball that moved about for ten minutes before disappearing toward Villacoublay.
