SUBJECT: SAUCER SMEAR ONLINE #6 FILE: UFO912 THE "MAJESTIC 12" DOCUMENTS: AN EXCLUSIVE "SMEAR" UPDATE: In our last glorious issue, we told you about the sensational government documents, released by Bill Moore & others working with him, which seem to prove there was indeed a crash of an extraterres- trial vehicle near Roswell, New Mexico, in 1947, with four dead alien bodies found near the wreckage. If these documents are authentic, it would be the "smoking gun" (a la Watergate) that we UFO researchers have been hoping for, lo these many years! We believe Moore to be sincere in his efforts, even though the documents in question, if genuine, conveniently make the Roswell In- cident (about which he has written a book) the most important event in modern history. We would criticize Moore on at least one point, however: Namely, the ridiculous way that he and his coworkers have censored the docu- ments to varying degrees, whereas they were totally uncensored when he obtained them. "Smear" seldom stoops to serious reporting, but we have been so intrigued by "MJ-12" since we first heard about it, that we have in- dulged in our own in-depth investigation, to the best of our humble abilities. This investigation has consisted mainly of expensive long- distance calls, for which we expect to be reimbursed on the very day that the Space People finally land en masse. Till then, our quest for Truth has to be its own reward. We are not in a position to contact any of the twelve members of "MJ-12", especially since we understand that they are all dead. Nor are we in a position, as some people are, to contact highly-placed government informants. (We thought of calling Reagan, but figured he is too busy with IranGate, or whatever it is called.) Thus our investigation has been limited to people known to be on the _pro_ or _anti_ side of the ufological fence, so to speak. We would truly _like_ the documents to be real, with all the exciting implications thereof. However, at this stage we must tell you that the consensus of thoughtful opinion even on the pro-UFO side is that they are _not_. We asked ourselves: Are the documents internally consistent, re- garding known and possible activities of these twelve outstanding men of 40 years ago, all of whose names are given therein? Of the twelve, the most intriguing was Dr. Donald Menzel of Harvard, who was, ufolog- ically speaking, the Phil Klass of his day. For this reason we con- tacted Dr. Ernest Taves, a rather wealthy retired psychiatrist whose statement you will read below. Worse than being a psychiatrist, he is an active member of the dreaded CSICOP organization. Even so, his op- inion is certainly worthy of respect. He was very close with Menzel and still is close friends with Menzel's widow and his private secre- tary, with whom Taves has consulted, after receiving the "MJ-12" mat- erial from us. This is his statement - slightly abbreviated because of Space limitations: THE MENZEL CONNECTION (our title, not his): I am informed that at the recent MUFON conference Stanton Fried- man contributed a paper entitled "The Double Life of Donald H. Menzel." This was preceded by widespread distribution, by the "Moore- Shandera-Friedman Research Project into U.S. Government UFO Policy" (hereafter MSF), of "New UFO Documents." It has become incumbent upon me to respond. First, with respect to the alleged Top Secret document, MSF states that they cannot endorse the authenticity of the document. MSF asks, "Hoax or proof of alien visitation?" I respond, "Hoax." As for the document itself: The version that I have seen (appar- ently a number of versions exist, differing in which text has been blacked out) clearly has not been officially declassified. If the doc- ument _is_ genuine, and has not been declassified, one wonders wheth- er MSF might not be in trouble with the FBI, but that is no concern of mine.... As for the comments and questions (by Moore) with respect to Donald Menzel, none of them have any bearing upon his alleged mem- bership in the "Majestic-12" group. MSF has apparently examined Men- zel's correspondence and his autobiography, both of which are to be found in the Harvard Archives in Cambridge, and has used this infor- mation in aid of making a case suggesting Menzel's participation in a governmental coverup of a crash-landed UFO. In this overreaching attempt MSF states, for example, that Men- zel wrote to John F. Kennedy about such matters. Of course Professor Menzel wrote to John F. Kennedy about such matters. He and Kennedy had been friends for a long time, and Menzel foresaw that when Kennedy became president, he might wish to consult him about scien- tific matters. Menzel wanted Kennedy to know about his history in sen- sitive areas. And Kennedy did, indeed, consult Menzel on a number of scientific matters, seeking his advice. It was certainly no secret to the Harvard community that Menzel had done much classified work for the government over a period of decades. The other points MSF raises are similarly noncontributory to "MJ-12". I shall try now to add some information about Menzel that _does_ relate to his alleged participation in a UFO coverup. Donald Menzel, during the latter years of his life, was my closest friend and ass- ociate, and I was co-author with him on his last UFO book, "The UFO Enigma." During the last year of his life we spent many, many hours working on the book, and during the course of these discussions we explored, together, any number of related fields including the writ- ing of science fiction (a field in which we both had published), the exploration of space, the probability of the existence of extraterres- trial intelligence, and so on. I can surely say that - with respect to Donald's thinking about such matters - I knew his mind and think- ing more intimately than anyone else could have. In addition I knew what kind of a man he was. And I state categorically that he would have repudiated with contempt any suggestion that he participate in the coverup proposed in the alleged secret documents. If an alien spaceship _had_ crashed, if bodies of aliens _had_ been recovered, Donald would _certainly_ have been one of the first to be called to participate in an investigation. He would have wel- comed this with the greatest enthusiasm. If national security were involved - which some might have thought to be the case for several months or a year or so - Donald would have gone along with that. But as it became clear - as indeed it has, over the years - that if this incident _had_ happened it had no bearing upon national security, he would have been unable to continue to participate in a misguided and unnecessary coverup. His interests lay in the discovery and propaga- tion of scientific knowledge. Above all, he would have been utterly incapable of the intellect- ual dishonesty of writing books debunking UFOs while knowing full well that an alien spacecraft bearing alien occupants had crashed in New Mexico. The insinuations in the MSF documents are a profound disservice to the memory of Donald Menzel. (End of Taves Statement.) FURTHER UPDATE: Ufological opinions on "MJ-12" vary widely, as you will see from the letters section of this issue. One informant whose opinions we found most intriguing was Tommy Roy Blann, a rather shadowy figure who has long been on the edges of the pro-UFO movement. He has sent us a copy of a document (known to Moore and many others) from June 1952, entitled "Report by the Joint Logistics Plans Committee of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on Joint Logistic Plan for `Majestic'". This is _not_ the same "Majestic", however, but is a legitimate document about a master plan for attacking the Soviet Union in the event of World War III. It presumably has nothing to do with UFOs. Then there was also a group called "MAGIC" or some such, which was responsible for breaking the Japanese code during World War II. Why the similar names? We do not know; but getting back to Blann, he informs us that the so-called Robert Cutler document, found by Moore and coworker Shandera in government archives after a pains- taking search therein, is definitely _not_ authentic, due to internal problems such as the watermark on the stationery, etc. This was the _only_ document supportive of "MJ-12" that the Moore/Shandera team was able to find there, and interestingly, it was reportedly found by Shandera while Moore was in the bathroom. Finally, from various sources, we believe we have the name of the probable perpetrator of the "MJ-12" affair, which at this stage we must sadly label a hoax. (No, it isn't Todd Zechel!). If our infor- mation is correct, the real facts of this case are almost as fantas- tic as is the idea of dead aliens being found on the New Mexico desert. Like Moore, we will not tell at one time _all_ we know, but "Smear" readers will eventually be informed. Don't let your non- subscription lapse! MISCELLANEOUS RAVINGS: Friend Hal Starr of Phoenix, one of our many highly unpaid "stringers," has sent us an interesting report on the recent MUFON convention in Washington, DC. We're really sorry we could not have been there, as someone has called this the Woodstock of Ufology! However, here (somewhat abbreviated) is Hal's report: << It seems that at each UFO Con., we have someone to talk about or to gossip over. At the 24th NUFOC in Burbank, it was Erik Beckjord. At the recent Washington, DC MUFON event, there were several, not the least of which was our ex-skeptic turned professional debunker, Phil Klass. It was he whom the Washington Post of June 29th, 1987 referred to as "the unin- ited skunk at the garden party." This reference, along with the rest of a very long news story, made the Post's review of the MUFON/FUFOR event one of the finest and most accurate pieces of journalism on the subject of UFOs I have seen in years! There was, of course, other gossip. Some were whispering that Bill Moore contrived the whole "MJ-12" thing out of whole cloth - that it was either a forgery or a treasonous revelation of classified material. For what reason, no one seemed to be able to answer, since there appears to be little, if anything, to be gained by Moore so doing. Indeed, there COULD be much to lose. Ever-doubted, redoubtable Klass, ever ready to blow the whistle, sent a letter suggesting this to the FBI. Now that's really a sore loser, especially since such action was never revealed to nor dis- ussed with Moore prior to his doing his "patriotic duty".... Dale Goudie of Seattle was another person under discussion. Accused of "stealing" documentary data from Moore, he tried to jump the gun by holding a news conference on the subject one day early. there was a very small turnout compared to the legitimate press conference the next day, which gave the Con rave reviews. Goudie was not very popular as a result. (Tommy Blann was also involved with Goudie's press conference - Ed.) Gary Kinder, author of "Light Years", a book on the mostly officially denounced Meier case, showed up the first day, got almost no attention, so apparently left early! MORE MISCELLANEOUS RAVINGS: On the night of June 24th, ABC's "NightLine" TV show was devoted to the theme of 40 years of the UFO enigma. Stanton Friedman and Phil Klass were there to debate the merits of the "MJ-12" documents and other saucer- related matters. By weird coincidence, the first part of the show was devoted to a separate film segment about the death of comedian Jackie Gleason, who had died that same day. The interesting thing is that there have been various rumors that Gleason knew something specific about crashed saucers and dead alien bodies. According to one really wild rumor, former President Nixon took Gleason personally to see dead aliens at Wright-Patterson! - ("Would you Believe?" It is a known fact that Gleason was, at the very least, a serious UFO fan; for, on at least one occasion, he joined Long John Nebel's WOR (New York City) radio panel by telephone, while Gray Barker and others were in the studio. This occurred quite a few years ago..... Finally, Jim Speiser of ParaNet has come up with what he calls the business opportunity of the 1980's: _Missing Time-Share_ (based on the 3 1/2 D Theory). In this way you can have another couple share your apart- ent at the same time you are in it, and never even know they are there. Way to go, Jim! MISSIVES FROM THE MASSES: PHIL KLASS, defender of Traditional American Values, writes: "Before you condemn my attitude on the alleged "MJ-12" docu- ments, why don't you ask for it instead of leaping to spurious con- clusions? If I had been the first to receive the documents, I would have made a photo-copy and submitted the "originals" to the FBI, asking them to evaluate their authenticity (as I did on June 4th). If they subsequently informed me they _were_ authentic, and asked me to turn over all copies in my possession and to "keep the secret," I would have challenged them to try to convince me that it was essential for the security of this nation. If they provided _convincing_ evidence that public disclosure woule embolden the USSR to make a preemptive strike and launch World War III, then I would comply with their request. If the FBI argued that release would cause the "public to panic," then almost certainly I would opt to "go pub- lic." But I would do so knowing that I would have to face the legal consequences while hoping for clemency. If, however, the FBI informed me the "MJ-12" documents were coun- terfeit/hoax documents, as I am confident they are, then I would ex- pect the FBI would try to find the responsible parties and bring them to justice. Counterfeit government documents can cause great inter- national mischief, which is why the Soviet KGB engages in such activ- ities. What you characterize as my "vicious attitude on the subject of national security" simply reflects my respect for the laws of this nation. If every citizen assumed the right to violate any law with which he disagreed, we would live in a jungle. Rather than condemn Klass's attitude on national security, we should have referred, instead to his apparently vicious attitude toward Stanton Friedman personally, as evidence by our quote from Klass' June 11th letter to Friedman. Klass now tells us by phone that he intended this remark as a joke - Editor Long-time correspondent JENNINGS FREDERICK writes: In regard to your last newsletter, I've just got to say - if ever your zine had touched upon any truths surrounding the UFO contro- versy, this was it! I am of course referring to the credibility of the "Majestic 12" document about a coverup going back to the mid 1940's. I've been in a position to know, and I know for a _fact_ ... that this "Majestic 12" document and its contents _are_ authentic - because I've seen a copy of it (untouched) when I worked for the gov- ernment....This document is what has got Phil Klass so damned upset. It is the one piece of authentic verification he cannot debunk!.... DENNIS STILLINGS of the Archaeus Project writes: ...One big problem with the "MJ-12" affair becomes apparent when you treat it as a _reductio ad absurdum_, i.e., provisionally assume it to be true. Then almost _nothing_ makes any sense with regard to government and military behavior since 1947. After all, a crashed sau- cer indicates vulnerability, and one would expect some defensive moves to be made. Is there any evidence that this happened? How about the hoax being concocted by Moore, et al? These people have been committed to the hardware theory so fanatically and for so long that they may have tired of the lack of support for what they see as obvious truth, so to save us from impending doom they have concocted a well-meaning hoax to put us on our guard...This sort of thing has happened before. And speaking of dumb stuff Moore does, one shouldn't forget that Moore co-authored that horrible piece of trash, "The Philadelphia Experiment", which, in my opinion, comes about as close to a hoax as anything ever does. Anyway, one thing about the dead ETs: They can't be _too_ strange; predators eat them, and they rot. This kind of goes against the old "animals won't go near the place" stories about UFOs & ETs.... BARRY GREENWOOD of CAUS and MUFON writes: ...I sincerely hope that "MJ-12" is proven as authentic; it's a great story! But until questions about the origin and appearance of the doc- uments are answered, I cannot endorse them. It's a shaky story. STANTON (needs no introduction) FRIEDMAN writes: ...I shall be working on an article about Menzel for Jerry Clark of CUFOS & will keep you informed. Got a good response in DC to my short paper on the Double Life of Donald Menzel. Loads of media people in DC. Phil Klass stood up at one session of the Convention to correct Bill Moore's story about what Reagan told Steve Spielberg after the showing of the movie "ET" at the White House - to say that Carter was president then. Bill politely pointed out that the film was released in 1983 and that Reagan was then president. Never saw someone sit down so fast in my life! A little research tidbit: Montague and Twining were both in the West Point Class of 1919!.... Egads! -- Editor An American skeptic who apparently prefers to remain anonymous (as he signs his card "MJ-12") writes: On the matter of Klass & pals allegedly suppressing Stewart Campbell's skeptical analysis of the Socorro, NM case - Campbell, who is not quite as skeptical as some, submitted to CSICOP a proposed ana- lysis that was downright silly, and easily refuted - something about stars seen in broad daylight. This would have made "The Skeptical In- quirer" look even sillier than England's "UFO Review." But are stars in broad daylight any more far-fetched than Klass' theory about Socorro, which is that the incident was a hoax by officer Lonnie Zamora for the purpose of converting lonely, isolated Socorro into a tourist center? - Editor Non-subscriber JIM DEHLING writes: Got your newsletter...Those documents are not real! Does anyone really believe that if they were, that no arrests would have been made by now? It's supposed to be classified info, right? I guess some- body's got to keep the interest in UFOs alive.... BRIAN PARKS, who works closely with Bill Moore, writes: I am very pleased with your write-up on the National UFO Con- ference (in Burbank) and of course the mysterious Majestic 12. By the way, I have seen some of that as yet unreleased material - Phil Klass, beware! This man, who is becoming a menace to his fellow skep- tics, has challenged the media to an all-out investigation of the doc- ument, on "ABC NightLine." That is just what we want. Good work from our alleged enemy!... ********************************************** * THE U.F.O. BBS - http://www.ufobbs.com/ufo * **********************************************