Evening star., 1960-08-20

The verdict was never in
was regarded as lenient.
Throughout the continent
accused U-2 pilot, Francis Gary
Powers, his wife and parents.
They were seen as an ordi-
nary family caught up in the
clash between the worlds two
biggest powers.
But there was little sympathy
with the Russian bid to put
United States policy in the
dock alongside the American
flyer.
Britain's Daily Telegraph
commented:
Powers was sent over Rus
sia because America needs to
know what is going on there
and could not find out in other
THE more the prosecutor
sought to materialize President
Eisenhower in the dock at Pow
ers' right hand. the darker grew
the shadow of Mr.. Khrushchev
on his left"
Nothing Fresh
1t was conceded the United
States may have acted rashly
in sending the U-2 over Russia
on the eve of the Paris summit.
But all this has been said be-
fore and the trial brought out
nothing fresh on the subject.
Many observers believe the
pattern Of the trial may have
given the West a gloomy point
er to future Russian policy.
"The depressing thing is that
by using the final stages of the
trial as a platform for bitter
attack on America, the Russians
suggest that they do not think
they have anything to gain
from being on speaking terms
with the West at the moment
said the London Times.
In Denmark. Copenhagen's
Berlingske Tidende said the
real aim Of the trial was to-
establish the United States as
the culprit.
But it is doubtful whether
the big show in Moscow will
alter the worlds judgment of
the United States and the
USSR," the conservative news
paper asserted.
In Rome, the independent nj
MesSaggero said:
THE scope of the trial was
to place accent upon the 'crimi-
nal American espionage organi-
Zation.'"
But II Messaggero added
that a study of Prosecutor Ru-
denko's final statement reveals
statements so strange, false
hoods so evident and distor-
tions OF truth so artificial as to
confirm once again that with
the Soviets it is impossible to
have discussions and dealings
on the ordinary level of good
faith"
The Irish Independent de-
scribed the trial as "a vast
effort in propaganda designed
to discredit the United States"
adding:
Whatever the Russians
may be pleased to imagine, it
is at least doubtful, so far as
the rest of the world is con-
cerned, whether the desired ef-
feet has been achieved, or
whether anybody calmly view
ing the extraordinary episode
will think any the worse of the
Americans"
Neutral Sweden was equally
unimpressed by the prosecu-
tion'S denunciation of United
States policy, but otherwise the
Swedes found the Soviet han
ding of the case "a satisfying
surprise"
The Stockholms-T -Tidningen
speculated' that when a new
United States President takes
office, Powers should stand a
good chance Of a pardon.
Other European newspapers
also suggested Powers may not
have to serve his full sentence.
The Paris newspaper Figaro
said he might be expelled from
the Soviet Union after three
years in jail.
In West Germany, the inde-
pendent Frankfurter Rund-
schau said the principal figure
in the trial was not Powers but
the mutual disEust of the
worlds strongest nations and
fear of sudden attack.
Russians Shame
Britain's liberal News Chron-
icle said the Americans emerge
from the trial in the eyes of
their allies as unfortunate and
slightly inept.
But we must also remem-
ber," it added, that they were
spying for our benefit against
a power that still represents
an aggressive menace to world
peace, and their shame in get
ting caught is possibly not as
great as the Russians shame
in letting a spy plane go so
deep into their territory"
A spot check in Paris indi-
Gated people there feel Powers
got off very easily at the hands