Symposium on unidentified flying objects: hearings before the Committee on Science and Astronautics, U.S. House of Representatives, Ninetieth Congress, second session, July 29, 1968.

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have not excluded all the impossibles. I have shown that the arguments ad-
vanced in favor of the interplanetary nature of UFO's are fallacious. Their
alleged high speeds and ability to maneuver have completely natural explana-
tions.
I think the time has come for the Air Force to wrap up Project Blue Book.
It has produced little of scientific value. Keeping it going only fosters the belief
of persons that the Air Force must have found something to substantiate belief
in UFO's. In making this recommendation I am not- criticizing the present or
recent administration of the project. But it is time that we put an end to chasing
ghosts, hobgoblins, visions, and hallucinations.
More than twenty years of study by the Air Force and an additional year of
analysis by the University of Colorado have disclosed no tangible evidence sup-
porting the popular view that UFO's are manned interplanetary vehicles. An ir-
responsible press, which has overpublicized the sensational aspects of the pheno-
menon, has been largely responsible for keeping the subject alive. Both news-
papers and leading magazines must bear the blame for mishandling the news. But
such publications are not scientific journals. They present incomplete data and
draw sensational conclusions without supporting evidence.
The question of UFO's has become one of faith and belief, rather than one of
science. The believers do not offer additional clear-cut evidence. They repeat the
old classical cases and base the reliability of the sighting on the supposed honesty
of the observer. I have shown that many honest observers can make honest mis-
takes.
The press has recently played up a story to the effect that, even in the U.S.S.R.,
an official UFO investigation has been started, under government sponsorship.
Nothing could be farther from the truth! But the newspapers failed to retract
after an official statement from the National Academy of the U.S.S.R. appeared
in Pravda, to the effect that the reported study was the work of an unofficial and
irresponsible amateur-group.. The Academy statement further disclaimed any
support whatever for the view that UFO's are other than badly misinterpreted
natural phenomena, and certainly not manned extraterrestrial vehicles.
I am aware that a small but highly vociferous minority of individuals are
pressing for further studies of UFO's supported—of course—by huge congres-
sional appropriations. The heads of a few amateur UFO organizations urge their
members to write Congress, asking for investigations of both UFO's and the Air
Force. The members have responded enthusiastically, and Congress reacted by
financing a special study, which led to the project at the University of Colorado.
And now, when it seems likely that the report from this study will be negative,
the same vociferous group is again turning to Congress with the same appeal but
with no more chance of success. Time and money spent on such efforts will be
completely wasted. Congress should strongly disapprove any and all such pro-
posals, large or small. In this age, despite the doubts expressed by a very small
group of scientists, reopening and reopening the subject of UFO's makes just
about as much sense as reopening the subject of Witchcraft.
Within the vast field of atmospheric physics, there exist many imperfectly. un-
derstood phenomena which deserve further study, such as ball lightning and
atmospheric optics. But any investigations of such phenomena should be carried
out for their own sake, not under the cloak of UFO's.
I express my appreciation to Congressman Roush for the invitation to present
my views on UFO's. I append herewith my telegram to him dated July 24, 1968.
JULY 24, 1968.
J. EDWARD ROUSH,
Committee on Science and Astronautics,
Rayburn House Office Building,
-Washington, D.C.:
Received your letter of July and will contribute paper as you suggest. Am
amazed, however, that you could plan so unbalanced a symposium, weighted by
persons known to favor Government support of a continuing, expensive, and
pointless investigation of UFOs without inviting me, the leading exponent of
opposing views and author of two major books on the subject.
DONALD H. 1VIENzEL,
Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory.