The first, that at least one “Chicago based newspaper” editor, in the ’50s, took X-files type material seriously enough to pass it on to J. Edgar Hoover/the FBI: i.e., took it seriously in a way that most modern newspaper editors APPEAR not to, (though maybe at the time this editor affected a different PUBLIC stance, making one wonder about the PUBLIC stance of contemporary editors).

The second, there was a mysterious individual (presumably “The man who welded the ship [who said it was] by far the best long range bombing instrument he has ever seen”), who related the story to the editor, (or his source), who was taken seriously enough for the account to be passed on to Hoover.

The third, the Army had direct access to this newspaper editor’s material in a way that even Hoover didn’t.

The forth, that Howard Hughes was universally viewed as such a force unto himself that no one - including the Army and the FBI - was ever really sure just what exactly he was getting upto, and as a result he was viewed as being capable of being involved in virtually anything.

Personally, the chief ‘bum note’ - of the account of the ‘offending’ flying saucer-like crystal glass winged aircraft - for me was details such as it supposedly needing to pitch in lakes or the sea, which smacked a little bit too much of Hughes’ controversial ‘failure’ the Spruce Goose.

Add to that the notion it supposedly had crystal glass wings - by way of explaining why it appeared to be a flying saucer - and I find myself wondering if this wasn’t so much a hoax as a ‘record’ of one of Hughes’ notoriously “preposterous” brainstorming sessions.

Keep up the good work, Nick, and in the meantime maybe somebody’ll help you unearth something on the surely corroboratable ‘testing’ connection to Glen F. Martin Aircraft*, Co..

*[Is that maybe Glen L. Martin?]