Boomerang Feared in 'Saucer' Probe

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# Boomerang Feared in 'Saucer' Probe

By MORT YOUNG Journal-American Special Writer

A private group of scientists, astronomers, engineers and interested laymen said today that a Congressional investigation into unidentified flying objects "might not be in the national interest."

Instead, the Aerial Phenomena Research Organization (APRO) of Tucson, Ariz., called for a "more important and extensive scientific study of past UFO sightings and preparation for dealing with future sightings."

A Congressional investigation, Mrs. Carol Lorenzen, an APRO spokesman said, could make the United States "look like damn fools in the eyes of the world if the government admits UFOs exist, especially if Russia took the opposite tack."

House Republican Leader Gerald R. Ford of Michigan has formally asked for Congressional hearings into UFO sightings and the Air Force's Project Bluebook, charged with running UFO reports to earth.

But another group of UFOtrackers, the National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena (NICAP) in Washington, wants Congress to look into the UFO-Air Force situation.

NICAP claims a policy of suppression of evidence, ridicule of witnesses and a program devoted to explaining the inexplicable are maintained by the Air Force.

"The Air force is in an unenviable position. They have a UFO problem," said Mrs. Lorenzen, "and they don't know

how to explain it until they get their hands on one."

The Air Force strenuously denies these allegations.

Based on statistical studies of reported UFO sightings by APRO, Mrs. Lorenzen said she noted a "disturbing trend."

Her husband Lesley Lbrenzen, APRO's director, said that a new pattern in UFO sightings has evolved since last July.

"The sightlings have become longer in duration," he explained. "And there seems to be a tendency for the incidents to be repeated on consecutive nights. A side effect of this might be that now we'll get more photographs of them. We can expect to learn more about them."

He urged the Air Force to "stop ridiculing competent witnesses."

Maj. Donald Keyhoe, USMC (Ret.), NICAP's director, told newsmen two days ago that UFOs "are real and under intelligent control."

Congressman Ford - whose home state of Michigan has been deluged with UFO reports for the past two weeks - said he wants Congress to investigate in order to give the public "a better explanation than that thus far given by the Air Force."

SIGHTED UFO FIRST . . . Kenneth Arnold, the Boise, Idaho, businessman who started the flying saucer spotting in 1947, displays a drawing he made of his "sighting" near Mt. Rainier in Washington State.