SUBJECT: UFOs SERIOUS BUSINESS                               FILE: UFO2931




[The following is a reprint of an article appearing on The New York Times,
Sunday, February 28, 1960 retrieved via microfilm from the Morris Country
library of New Jersey.]


                             AIR FORCE ORDER
                           ON 'SAUCERS' CITED
                          --------------------
                          Pamphlet by Inspector
                         General call Objects a
                                'Serious
                                Business'
                          ---------------------

 WASHINGTON, Feb. 27 (UPI)-The Air Force has sent its commands a warning to
treat sightings of unidentified flying objects as "serious business"
directly related to the nation's defense, it learned today. An Air Force
spokesman confirmed issuance of the directive after portions
of it were made public by a "private "flying saucer" group.
 The new regulations were issued by the Air Force inspector general Dec.
24.
 The regulations, revising similar ones issued in the past, outlined
procedures and said that "investigations and analysis of UFO's [sic] are
directly related to the Air Force's responsibility for the defense of the
United States."

                       Committee Reveals Document

 Existence of the document was revealed by the Investigations Committee on
Aerial Phenomena.
 The privately financed committee accused the Air Force of deception in
publicly describing reports of unidentified flying objects as delusions and
hoaxes while sending the private admonition to its commands. Vice Admiral R.
H. Hillenkoetter (Ret.), a committee board member and
former director of the Central Intelligence Agency, said in a statement that
a copy of the inspector general's warning had been sent to the Senate
Science and Astronautics Committee.
 "It is time for the truth to be brought out into the open in Congressional
hearings." he said.
 The Air Force confirmed that the document had been issued. A spokesman
said it was put out by Maj. Gen. Richard E. O'Keefe, acting inspector
general at the time, to call attention to revised Air Force regulations
concerning unidentified flying objects.
 The statement was included in an "operations and training" pamphlet
circulated at intervals to bring commands up to date.
 Pentagon aides said new regulations covering seven printed pages, made no
substantive change in policy but had been rewritten as a matter or course.
 The Air Force has investigated 6,312 reports of flying objects since 1947,
including 183 in the last six months of 1959.  The latest Air Force
statement issued as month ago said "no physical or material evidence, not
even a minute fragment of a so-called flying sauceer [sic] has ever been
found."
 Admiral Hillenkoetter said that "behind the scenes, highranking Air Force
officers are soberly concerned about the UFO's [sic]."
 "But through official secrecy and ridicule, many citizens are led to
believe the unknown flying objects are nonsense," the retired admiral said.
He charged that "to hide the facts, the Air Force has silenced its
personnel" through the issuance of a regulation.
                   --------------------




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