Evening star., 1960-08-17
POWERS

fly along the southern frontier
of the Soviet Union from bases
in Turkey and finally to make
the flight over Russia itself.
He said he had been as
sured by a Col. Shelton. COM
mafider of the reconnaissance
group to which he was attached.
that it was absolutely safe" to
fly over the Soviet Union. He
said he had never before flown
over the country nor visited 1t.
Denying any knowledge OF
the equipment his plane car
ried, he said his only job was to
make it work under certain cir
cumstances according to in
structions.
He said:
II didn't like the idea of the
fight. I was very nervous and
tense. 1t is hard to explain.
But was scared"
Thought Of Quitting
Powers said he never saw any
of the U-2's equipment loaded
or unloaded.
The pilot said he had hesi-
.tated about renewing his con-
tract to work for a United
States Government agency. and
had renewed it only because he
did not have time to find an
other job.
Why. were you sorry you
renewed your contract?" He
was asked by his COATED de-
fense lawyer. Why were you
penitent?" The reasons are
hard to explain" Powers said.
The work was strenuous and
had a feeling-I can't put it
into words-I didn't particular
ly like what I was doing"
Why are you sorry now?"I
the lawyer presisted.
With a wry expression on his
face, Powers said:
The situation I am in right
now is not too good. I haven't
heard too much of the news
of the world since I have been
in"
Wanted Civilian Job
But he said he learned of
the end of the summit con-
ference and of the cancella-
ton Of the Eisenhower visit.
Powers said that on compile
ton of service with the Air
Force he had wanted to go into
civil aviation but could not find
job. He told of working in
his spare time at college, and
said he had never engaged in
politics.
The defense attorney intro
duced pictures he said had
been supplied by Powers fam
lily showing how the pilot grew
up and the house where he
lived-all. apparently, in an eff
fort to depict Powers to the
court as member of the work
ing classes.
Under questioning by the
prosecution. Powers denied
knowing what United States
agency was in change of his
U-2.
II think you did not doubt it
was a spy flight" observed
Prosecutor Rudenko. #
mo I don't think I doubted
it," Powers replied.
Rudenko appeared to accept
Powers answers which tended
to put the prime responsibility
for the U-2 flight on the pilots
superiors.
Pattern Emerges
As Powers testified for hour
after hour. a pattern began to
emerge-the questions the at
torneys asked and the pilots
answers were serving to picture
him as a dupe of American
interests.
His testimony will be printed
verbatim in the Soviet press
tomorrow and the impression
to be gained is one which
likely will influence the reading
public favorably in regard to
Powers as a person.
A sampling among Russians
who attended today's session
showed they felt much more
kindly to Powers than they did
before he began to testify.
He described his humble
family background and told
the court of his fathers hard
life, of a brother-in-law who
ran a shoe repair shop and
another who eked out a poor
living by driving a school bus.
Questions and answers seemed
aimed at making the point that
he was just someone who knew
how to fly an airplane and loved
that work.
May Ease Sentence
Powers kept insisting that he
knew nothing of the secret as
poets of the job, beyond admit
ing that he assumed his flight
had a spy purpose.
All this could quite conceiv-
ably, under Soviet law, be con-
sidered extentuating circum-
stances and ease whatever
sentence may be meted out to
him.
At the same time, it has the
effect of helping Soviet deter
-mination to depict the United
States Government as on trial.
The flyers wife, Barbara, and
his parents, Mr.. and Mrs. Oliver
Powers of Pound. Va, sat in a
special box at the rear of the
huge hall and heard him enter
the plea of guilty.
"A Russian nurse was with
them as we'll as their own doc
tor from home.
Aims Blow at U. S.
1t was the first time any
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