Evening star., 1960-05-11
EISENHOWER
EISENHOWER
Spying Called Best Means
OfPreventing Sneak Attack
Continued From First p


reduction Of secrecy and sus-
picion."
The President told a oues-
toner that the furor over the
plane incident ha6 rot changed
his plans for visiting Russia
in June. He explained that his
recent casual remark, IF I 90
to Russia" meant merely that
one never can tell what is
going to happen from one day
to another. But I expect to
CO." he said.
Mr.. EiSenhower's statement
was given in advance of word
from Moscow that Soviet Pre-
mier Khrushchev had raised
some question about whether
the President should visit
Russia.
Mr.. EiSenhower's statement
amounted to a complete de-
fense of the way the United
States has been seeking infor-
nation about Soviet military
preparations by sending high
flying planes over Russia to
bring back pictures.
Defends Initial Explanation
There also was an implied
defense of the way the State
Department and the National
Aeronautics and Space Admin
istration first tried to explain
away Premier KhruShchev's
statements about downing the
spy plane by suggesting that
1t was a NASA weather obSer-
vation plane which had strayad
into Russia because the pilot
might have become unconscious
due to trouble with his oxygen
equipment.
These activities have their
own rules and methods of con-
cealment, which seek to mis-
lead and obscure-juSt as in
the Soviet allegations there are
many discrepancies" Mr.. Els
enhower said.
He added that "the normal
agencies of our Government
are unaware of these specific
activities or of the special eff
forts to conceal them"
Unaware of Mission
He appeared to be saying
that the State Department and
NASA knew nothing about the
real mission of the downed
plane when they made their
first public statements.
Mr.. Eisenhower explained
that the secret intelligence
gathering activities are di-
vorced from the regular, visible
agencies of Government which
stay clear of operational in
volvement in specific detailed
activities"
He confirmed that ever since
he came into Office in 1858 he
has issued directives to gather
in every feasible way the in
formation required to protect
the United States and the free
world against surprise attack
and to enable them to make
effective preparations for de-
fenSe."
He emphasized that "the
safety Of the whole free world
demands" that Americas de-
terrent power must never be
placed in jeopardy" of a. sur
prise attack that would seek
to knock it out.
The President noted that no
large-scale attack could be pre-
pared secretly in most of the
world. But he charged that the
Soviet secrecy fetish is a major
cause of International tension
and uneasiness.
Mr.. Eisenhower said America
would prefer a different kind
OF world and that was why he
made in 1855 and will renew
next week his open skies" pro-
poSal to permit aerial obServa-
ton over both the United
States and Soviet Union which
would assure that no surprise
attack was being prepared
against anyone"
The President insisted, how
ever, that the United States is
not engaged in anything that
could honestly be considered
provocative in sending unarmed
planes over Russia.
Ridicule GrOmykO Charge
He was asked about a speech
by Soviet Foreign Minister
Gromyko today charging the
United States with deliberately
engaging in provocative acts
He said such a charge is "ab-
solutely ridiculous and they
know it."
But he calmly assessed such
Russian statements as in line
with what they have been say
ing ever since World War II
and therefore not indicating
any decisive change in the pros
poets for the summit meeting.
The President also shrugged
off with a caustic comment
Premier Khrushchev's unfat-
tering comments about his plan
to have Vice President Nixon
substitute briefly for him at
the summit meeting if urgent
domestic affairs should call him
for two or three days. He has
never asked me my opinion of
some of his people," he. said of
Mr.. Khrushchev. ..
Except for possible absence
of not more than two or three
days in case something came
up demanding his attention at
home, Mr.. Eisenhower said he
is prepared to stay at the sum-
nit conference as long as he
can see any usefulness in it
whatever And if he should have
to leave, he would be prepared
to go right back, he added.