The article below was published in the daily newspaper L'Indépendant du Pas-de-Calais, Pas-de-Calais, France, pages 1 and 4, October 24, 1954.
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Flying saucers are the topic of the day. Their presence is reported everywhere, however none of these mysterious craft could be identified with any precision.
The differences are so important both in the form of the craft and in the description of the passengers who would occupy them that it is impossible to give any credit to the majority of the visionaries or supposed such.
Does that mean that everything is pure invention.
We do not believe it and yet it seems essential to reject as fanciful all the details given on alleged craft that would arrive from Planet Mars.
A "Stratojet" plane which, every day flew over the Rhône valley, at an altitude of about 10.000 meters, was mitaken, by some people, for a flying saucer.
The monitor instructors of the Aéro-Club of Vienne immediately dissuaded the overly imaginative witnesses, but a strange phenomenon occurred after the passage of the powerful jet plane. In fact, there formed in the sky, kinds of parachutes animated by bizarre movements and having the appearance of light sails which soon reached the ground.
Witnesses of the phenomenon seized this material very soft to the touch and having a bit the consistency of rubber. On reaching the ground, it vanished.
One of the witnesses put some of the stuff in a box and had it photographed immediately. A few hours later, what remained in this waterproof box was evaporated.
This scientifically explained phenomenon is due to the condensation in the rarefied and cold atmosphere of certain compounds of the fuel of the "Stratojet" that can cause white or iridescent formations moving at high speed and high altitude and thus give rise to more or less fanciful interpretations.
This observation, made above the Vienne airfield is identical to that already reported in its time by a resident of Oloron.
(Continued on 4th page)
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The French Air Ministry, for its part, strongly denied the pursuit of a saucer by jet planes.
Informed of the alleged presence of such a craft, 2 planes took off but... did not notice anything while the whole press orchestrated a purely imaginary pursuit through space.
What else do the saucers and these gentle four-feet-tall "Martians", which appear to us so far as fugitive and peaceful beings, reserve for us? Fortunately, because now the saucers are bursting in flight, which does not prevent them from doing well. Laugh, good people, it will end up disturbing my sleep, especially since I have not had the chance so far to see even in the blink of an eye these cigars of a new age, and these discs of progress... One night will end up being good for me, because the proliferation of always luminous vehicles is a real proliferation, not a proliferation for laughs. At the rate of these last weeks all the French will soon have seen their saucer and the only ones who will be able to stand proud are those who will have known "Martians", will have spoken to them, even, will have kissed them since its charming neighbors are said to be very affectionate.
Enough joke. Let's be realistic and tell the wonderful story of the Graulhet barrel-maker. Thursday, late afternoon, he said he saw at high altitude a silver craft heading to the northwest. He first believed a jet plane. But these craft from an already very remote era leave a white trail behind them. However, there was no trail. The barrel-maker, a skeptical and common sense man, went to fetch a pair of binoculars (don't forget to always take yours with you if you don't want to miss your saucer or your "Martian").
Optically equipped, he distinctly observed a large flexible disc which undulated on itself, while moving at high speed.
It was then that the craft seemed to explode in mid-flight. A silver ball of about one meter, escaped from the mass and continued on its way, to disappear from view (I am not surprised given the time required for all these operations and the high speed of the craft. The best things unfortunately have an end).
The rest of the craft fell in several pieces, like sheets of various sizes, hovering in the sky, some of which clung to telegraph wires.
Don't take the Graulhet too fast for a teaser and a joker; around fifteen people testified to this peculiar phenomenon and, even more, fragments of material were collected. They will not be canned and not even in the museum, because these agglomerated silver filaments crumble when touched. Too bad!
After such a demonstration, details and also sensational, how to understand that the English remain skeptical. These gentlemen now come to disturb the party, the great interplanetary ballet of saucers, which does no harm to anyone, feeds conversations, provides themes for good jokes endlessly.
The British Air Department, presumably not to be like everyone else, does not believe in the existence of flying saucers, cigars and other flying craft. They only believe in the flying "cage bed". While refusing to comment on the craft reported in France and in other European countries, the official spokespersons of the ministry declare that 99 times out of 100, natural explanations are found for similar appearances reported in Great Britain. Most often these are weather balloons. When no explanation can be given, it is generally because the testimonies of people who claim to have attended his appearances are insufficient. No such craft has been reported in Britain in recent weeks.
Here are these gentlemen of the air ministry of Great Britain wanting to "deflate" our saucers and cigars (it is true that the "Martians" seem to have a very particular interest in France) in vulgar sounding balloons. What a disillusionment .. But beware, raise your head "your" saucer may be happening right now.
SKEPTICOS.
