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This article was published in the daily newspaper Le Monde, Paris, France, page 18, le 4 juillet 1965.
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(From our special correspondant.)
Marseilles, July 3 -. the manoeuvers which currently proceed in Provence are undoubtedly at the origin of the mistake of Mr. Maurice Massé, farmer in Valensole in the Low-Alps. Mr. Massé had gone Saturday morning on his grounds, where he was the witness of a "surprising display."
He has, he says, seen within approximately 60 meters of him, in a lavender field, a kind of vehicle of the size of a Dauphine car resting on what resembled six "metal legs" and crossed of a "large pivot of steel color." Outside, a character "of the size and stoutness of an eight year old child" who as soon as it saw Mr. Massé, jumped in the apparatus where it joined one of his companions and took off with him "at a surprising speed."
The commander of the gendarmerie of Valensole, after having recorded the account of Mr. Massé, came to note on the premises that this apparatus had left traces on the spot: an opening of 20 centimetres in diameter by 80 centimetres of depth. In addition, in Port-Saint-Louis, a fisherman stated to have seen Thursday, around three hours of the morning, "a green gleam" in the direction of Valensole.
The military circles announce that several helicopters which take part in the operations had certainly the occasion to fly over Valensole and perhaps to land in the vicinity.
