uch
refraction are critical and a slight change in atmospheric conditions
could easily have caused the planet to disappear.

The speed--a common illusion. Further interrogation of the observers
showed it had never moved.

So, the history of the UFO is almost brought up to date.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Off They Go into the Wild Blue Yonder

At 12:30P.M. on Thursday, November 20, 1952, history was made.

At least, so says George Adamski, lecturer on philosophy and student
of technical matters and astronomy.

At 12:30P.M. on Thursday, November 20, 1952, George Adamski was the
first man on earth to talk to a Venusian.

At least, so says George Adamski.

I was chief of Project Blue Book at the time and the name "Professor
Adamski"--he had a title then--wasn't new to me. He, or some of his
followers had been showering the Air Force with photos of flying
saucers. Letters by the gross were coming in demanding recognition of
the great professor and an analysis of his photos.

We obliged and the photos were examined by the experts at Wright-
Patterson Photo Reconnaissance Labs. The verdict came back: "They
could be genuine, of course, but they also could have been easily
faked by a ten year old with a Brownie camera."

For a few weeks we forgot George Adamski. But then the press began
to clamor at our gates. The news was leaking out of Southern
California. George Adamski had talked to a Venusian! We held out for
a long time but the pressure mounted and I headed for California to
find out what it was all about.

As far as George Adamski was concerned I was just another thirsty
sight-seer from the famous observatory on Mt. Palomar when I walked
into the little restaurant at the foot of this famous mountain one
day in 1953.

The four stool restaurant, with a few tables, where Adamski worked
as a handyman, was crowded when I arrived and he was circulating
around serving beer and picking up empty bottles. There was no doubt
as to who he was because his fame had spread. To the dozen almost
reverently spoken queries, "Are you Adamski?" he modestly nodded his
head.

Small questions about the flying saucer photos for sale from
convenient racks led to more questions and before long the good
"professor" had taken a position in the middle of the room and was
off and running.

In his slightly broken English he told how he was the son of poor,
Polish immigrants with hardly any formal education.

To look at the man and to