The Straith Letter

George Adamski, one of the most well-known -- or infamous -- figures in the flying saucer movement from 1952 until his death in 1965, frequently spoke of his encounters with friendly beings from Venus, Mars, and Saturn. In his books and talks, he also claimed that high-ranking government officials, who were allegedly in contact with these 'Space Brothers,' secretly believed in his truthfulness.

In December 1957, Adamski was taken aback when he received a letter written on official U.S. State Department stationery, complete with a stamped seal and a Washington, D.C. postmark. The letter, signed by 'R. E. Straith, Cultural Exchange Committee,' stated, 'The Department has on file a great deal of confirmatory evidence bearing out your own claims... While the Department cannot publicly confirm your experiences, it can, I believe, with propriety, encourage your work.'

The Straith letter caused a stir among Adamski's followers. They accused the department of concealing the truth after it repeatedly denied any knowledge of an 'R. E. Straith' or a 'Cultural Exchange Committee.' Despite their persistent search, Straith remained unreachable, leading Adamski's supporters to believe that the committee was so highly secretive that the government would never acknowledge its existence.

Skeptical ufologists, questioning Adamski's story, were convinced the letter was a forgery -- perhaps, as analyst Lonzo Dove proposed, written on Gray Barker's typewriter. Barker, a saucer publisher and prankster, was suspected of being behind the fabrication. When Dove presented his theory to Saucer News editor Jim Moseley, Moseley dismissed it, arguing Dove had not provided enough evidence. However, years later, following Barker's death in December 1984, Moseley admitted that both he and Barker had written the letter using official stationery from a friend of Barker's, whose relative held a prominent position in the government.

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