Confidential report from Joseph D. Brennan to Frederick H. Boland (Dublin)

The Department is, no doubt, aware of the many published reports in regard to flying objects which have been named as 'flying saucers'. Recently, there was published a book entitled THE FLYING SAUCERS ARE REAL: copy of which I enclose, which purports to give the story of these airborne objects.¹ The book speaks for itself. The conclusions of the author are that the objects are propelled from another planet. The book is having an immense sale in the United States.

My newspaper friends tell me that the book is completely factual and that the references given in it are well-authenticated. Two releases issued by the Department of Defense relative to the subject are attached.

Yesterday I had luncheon with Mr. Wilbur of UP and he told me that just a week ago an American Airlines plane landing at Washington Airport, was circled three times by one of these manifestations. The pilot radioed the Tower at Washington Airport and asked them to get a radar fix on the object but the Tower was unable to do so. The papers here carried the report in the first edition and after that it was dropped out of every edition and did not appear anywhere else.

The recent announcement that State Department proposes to form a Scientific Branch for the exchange of information between all countries which has no bearing on security is supposed to have something to do with this 'flying saucer' scare. The Secretary of State announced that he was going to recruit top-flight scientists to head up this Scientific Branch of the State Department.

The Department will understand that I do not in any sense commit myself to believe in any of the views expressed in regard to these 'flying saucers', but I think that the Department should be aware of the trend of thought here in regard to them.

It has been said here that the publication of the book which I enclose was inspired by the U.S. authorities so that the people here might become accustomed to the idea that there is a possibility of the inhabitants of another planet visiting this one.