Evening star., 1960-08-12
YoWers Family
Off 10 Moscow

LONDON, Aug. IL (AP).-
The family Of Francis Gary
Powers headed for Moscow to-
day, claiming Soviet Premier
Nikita s. Khrushchev's promise
Of help for the American U-2
pilot who goes on trial Wednes-
day as a spy. .s
II will see Khrushchev. He
said he will help me-" Oliver
w. Powers of Pound, Va, faith
er Of the pilot, told newsmen
on arrival in London last night.
The elder Powers said he had
received word from Mr.. Khru-
shchey but refused to say how
the message came.
II am going to help my boy"
he said. That's all I have to
say
Three other members Of the
pilots family and several
friends or advisers are flying
to Moscow for the trial.
Physician With Mother
Oliver Powers was accom-
panied by his. wife, Ida, who
suffers from heart trouble; DR..
Lewis K. Ingram. her physician,
and Sol w. Curry, 9 friend Of
the family.
They were to leave London
late tonight and to arrive in
Moscow early tomorrow.
Travelling to Moscow sepa-
rately, the pilots wife, Barbara
Moore Powers, arrived in New
York last night. She was to
leave for Brussels tonight and
was due in the Soviet capital
tomorrow afternoon.
With her are her mother,
Mrs. Monteen Brown Of Mill
edgeville. Ga. and two lawyers
appointed by the Virginia Bar
Association, Alexander w
Parker Of Richmond and Frank
w. Rodgers of Roanoke.
Mr.. Parker said he had
cabled John N. Hazard. a Co.
lumbia University professor
who specializes in Soviet and
international law, to join them
in Moscow. Mr.. Hazard now
is in West Germany.
Hoping for Light Sentence
j Mr.. Parker told newsmen
that Mrs. Powers had been
advised by the State Depart
ment that Soviet authorities
would not permit her to talk
with her husband until his trial
ends. The Virginia lawyer said
the pilots family would be al
lowed to consult with the Rus
sian lawyer appointed by the
Soviet government to defend
Powers.
Mr.. Parker's only comment
on the case was I'VE are hope
full that he will be found guilty
of flying the plane land not OF
espionage) and that his sem
tence will be as light as the
Soviet government will permit.
Mrs. Powers said: Il am
going to Moscow to be near
my husband and I certainly
hope for a light sentence for
him."
The maximum penalty fol
espionage in the Soviet Union
is death. Mrs. Powers told q
news conference in Washing
ton that a light sentence was
} as much as she could hope for
Propaganda Show
United States State Depart
ment officials in Washington
said the Russians are doing
} everything they can to turr
Powers trial into a tremendous
propaganda show. They citec
: the Soviet order yesterday &C.
cusing a 27-year-old American
( tourist, Robert Charles. Christ.
! ner Of Sparks, New, Of spying
and expelling him from the
country.
The State Department termed
the Christner expulsion a de.
liberate but somewhat hyster.
ical effort" to inflame worle
opinion. 1t was the fifth case o.
spying charged to the United
States since Powers was cap.
tured May l after his plane
!. crashed deep in Soviet territory
: Another American tourist
: identified as James Schultz
! of Washington University. ST
Louis, Mo-, was expelled from
j. the Soviet Union today or
charges Of trying to enlist {
Ukrainian in "anti-Soviet agi'
tation" by giving him clothes