 A/
 cc 1VlemordndaM ? UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT
 :Assistant Director, Scientific Inteltigencs
 DATE:  >j April 1958
 svsJacs: Camients on Fetters Dealing with ihaidentified l ylgg Objects
 ME EIMCFS:   (1) latter to Director, CIA, from lam Davidson, dated
 11 2Qareh 1958
 (2) Letter to Director, CIA, from Donn 4L X. Xeyhoe, Director
 of National Investigations Committee on. Aerial Pheru=ena
 1.  As a resalt of the action taken by the SAC cm A December
 1952 (IAC?M-90, Paregra* 3a), a Scientific Tatelligence Advisory
 Panel vas convened 14-18 January 19>3. The panel consisted of the
 followica scientists:  1. P..P.obertscet, Leis N. Alvarez, .Lloyd V.
 Berkner, S. A. Goudsmlt, and Thorntca Pap. The panel concerned
 itself with the evaln:ation of any possible threat to hhatienal.
 Seeuritvty unidentified flying objects. The pane is    a report
 dated. l Jaazsari 1953. This report: vas classified Secret.
 2.  The letters from Iaaa Devidsor and Donald I ayhoe to the.
 DCI concerned,tb@mselvss pr*.xtarily with Edward J. Rtg+pelt's book
 on Unidentified Flying Cbjects. At the time that the scientific
 penal net, Buppelt was a Captain in the Air puree and attended the.
 panel r..satings.  His book, horwaver,.is concerned with the identi-
 fica:ion of unidentified flying objects. Rappelt's etatelen s
 regs.  ag the nissios of the panel are in error.  He has led the
 reads: to believe the peril's mission was to identify the flying
 objects and to make recoc eudations on msthuds to further identity
 such objects. This is the basis for the apparent contradictions
 which arose during the Mike Wallace television interview.  This is
 also the basis for hr. Ksyboe's misgivings.
 3.  In late October 1957, Major James P. Byrne of API--XLA
 regxested a declassified version of the panel report. This
 office contacted each somber of the panel and an agreed upon,
 declassified version was written and sent to the. Assistant Chief
 of Staff, Intellie^eoce, Department of the Air Force on 20 December
 1957.  It was the decision of all the panel members and the CIA
 that while no =e--bar of the panel objected to the use of his name
 in corgi ,ection with the declassified version, they desired 'that no
 connection of the panel members with CIA be disclosed.
 00015408-7-7 ..
 U.  It is apparent free reading W. nsvidson's letter that
 Mike Wallace had a ccpy of the scientific panel report. in
 addition, the association of CIA With the US Air Force in the
 selection of the panel vas revealed daring the television
 interview. Therefore, the panel, members have been associated
 with CIA, contrary to their wishes and contrary to CIA's desires.
 5. She real intent of the reverenced letters is to obtain a
 copy of the panel report.  In view of this, and of the above, it
 would. be most exp$ient to send than the declassified version.
 Inn order to not reveal an association between the panel =eaters
 end CIA, either the Air Force should answer the letters or we
 should mks -It plain to the recipients that we obtained the
 panel report from the Air Fores.
 6. Attached are copies of the deriawsified panel report.
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 l: She undersigned Panel of Sclent1fia Cou:.nitauts bas ret at
 the ragaest of the GcvSr=wt to Ovslnats say possible threat to
 national sec  ity posed b7 Unidsatifisd P yivg Objects ("Flying
 Saucers"), and to make reeoaaeeedatiooo: The Penal bas received
 the evidsnas an presented by cogaimaatCovssvaaeatal agencies,
 primarily the United States Air Bbree, and has revieved a selection
 of the but doe+amantsd iaaidentsi
 2, As a reseett of its considsrstions, the Pans1 concludes:
 Objects shoos no indication that than phenamm eoastiitnte
 L dixeet plsysi of Ureat to national eeCRi'it%*.
 we fi' m2y believe that there is no residmma of awe; ubiab indicates
 p-     a ubiah are attributable to lorsip artit8ate capable of
 hostile sets, and that there ie no evidence that the pben  uas
 3adients a need for the revision of oarreait scientific conaeptsi
 3l. In the hiEht of this conel don, the Panel. reca?sssdss
 7isat tits aatiotts]. seaax3ty saeaaies talcs iaa Bata steps
 to strip the Unidentmed F9ying Objects of the special, states
 they have been given and the ears of mp'stery they have
 astortnnately acquired;
 f-e anggaals t at this an may be achieved by an inteeated YMPM
 desieaM to reuse the p b3.ic of the tots]. lack of evidence of
 in:mica], Threes bebieb the phenams*&
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 nivei'etttea,  na+
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