Evening star., 1960-05-28
SUMMIT
w Incident Gets
Thorough Airing

AIIIHS
could proceed with negotiations
at a conference under the sit
uation at least as he inter-
preted it. that we intended to
continue such flights?
Mr.. Herter: After all, Mr..
Khrushchev arrived in Paris
and made an arrival statement
|. that he expected to pro-
ceed and have fruitful results.
Mr.. Herter said Russian au-
thorities have not yet given
permission for American rep
.resentatives to interview the
U-2 pilot, Francis Powers, who
was formerly with the United
States Air Force. They have
said that when we have fin
iShed interrogating him We will
give consideration to it," the
Secretary said.
Mr.. Herter said the United
States did not know where the
pilot was being held. But he
said the Russians had given
assurances that he was in good
health.
Senator Hickenlooper, Re-
publican of Iowa, asked MIR.
Herter's opinion on the value
of the spy plane flights and
whether the knowledge acquired
from them have enabled us.
to reorient our defensive
posture and our equipment and
attitudes from time to time?"
OF Great Value
Il think they have been of
very great value to U.s." Mr..
Herter replied without elabora-
ton.
Senator Humphrey, Democrat
Of Minnesota, asked what would
happen in the United States
IF on our radar screen we
should discover a plane flying
at high altitude over our
territory"
Il think we would do every
thing we could to identify it
right away" Mr.. Herter replied.
adding, I'VE have the where
withal, I think, to do that" He
went on to say that there was
very little such flight over the
United States could ascertain
that would worry us very
much"
He acknowledged there was
a difference in the light of a
surprise air attack but empha-
sized that the type of plane
such as the U-2 could not be
mistaken for a bomber.
Senator Aiken, Republican
of Vermont, told Mr.. Herter
some people think that if we
disarmed as an example to the
world, Russia would promptly
follow suit. The Senator asked
Mr.. Herter if he thought so.
Il do not" the Secretary re-
piled.
Under questioning by Sena-
tor Gore, Undersecretary Dillon
revealed that the first informa-
ton this country received in
dicating that the Russians had
the U-2 pilot alive came from
information picked up by diplo-
mats attending cocktail parties
in Moscow.
Four Days Late
Explaining that the informa-
ton reached the State Depart
ment on the afternoon of May
5-four days after the plane
went down. Mr.. Dillon said:
This was in the form of a
report from our embassy in
Moscow saying that various
other foreign diplomats had
heard at cocktail parties or re-
ceptions from various Soviet
officials that this plane was
down, and at one time, to one
of these foreign diplomats, a
Soviet official said that they
had the pilot and that report
reached us. We didn't know
whether it was accurate or not,
but it gave us pause"
Senator Gore was sharply
critical of the fact that on May
6, "a hours later, Lincoln White,
State Department press officer,
said, There was absolutely no
deliberate attempt to violate
the Soviet air space and there
has never been"
Senator Gore said II am ask
ing you about an official false
hood on May 6, after you say
the department knew of the
flight pattern, assumed the
plane was down, a whole day
after you received information
that the pilot was probably
alive I ask you again if
you think this is an example of
the coordination which you
earlier told us the department
had"
Mr.. Dillon replied that it was
a major decision. which was
reached the following day,
that we were going to aban-