Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-06-15
THE U-2 AFFAIR
Blast at U. S. at Trial Upsets Powers

States.
After all" they said he
pleaded, I'm still an Ameri-
can and I don't want any part
Of It,"
In Washington, the State
Department was denying an
implication at the trial that
Mr.. Powers would be tried
again If he returned home.
There was nothing in his con-
duct to warrant prosecution.
the department declared, and,
in fact. the pilots full salary
would be paid during his en-
tire confinement in the Soviet
Union.
Family Meets Powers
On Tuesday morning the
family met with Mr.. Powers
for q second and final time
in an 8-by-12-foot office in the
Supreme Court building.
Promptly at 10 o'clock, Mr..
Powers was led In by two uni
formed guards and two plain
clothesmen.
Ida had brought a package
containing some candy bars
and q New Testament. Oliver
opened it and shook the leaves
Of the Bible to show nothing
was concealed inside. But the
interpreter made him put it on
the desk.
Barbara had brought a copy
Of President Eisenhower's re-
marks about Mr.. Powers and
the U-2 at his last news con-
ference. Her husband read it
carefully and said he was
pleased.
Oliver offered him some
money, but he refused it. You
work too hard for your money"
he said. Barbara was to take
care of that and also send him
an electric razor and packages
Of food and clothing from time
to time. One Of the Russian
attendants suggested winter
work gear-Sturdy shoes and a
Iparka.
Don't you worry about me"
Mr.. Powers comforted. I'm
going to be model prisoner and
study Russian and get all the
good-behavior time off that I
can"
Oliver had been asked by the
American Embassy to make
sure his son was aware he
would be receiving full pay dur
ing his confinement. The dis
closure provoked no great re-
action in Mr.. Powers, but the
guards murmured among them
selves at the thought of a cap
tured spy making $4,000 a
month.
The conversation had run
thin by the time the interpreter
cut it off exactly at II o'clock.
Oliver and Ida left for home
the next day. Barbara and her
party stayed behind, hoping.
without success, to see Premier
Khrushchev.
Barbara Sees Powers Again
Thursday afternoon, the day
before they left for home. Al
exander w. Parker, Richmond
attorney advising Mrs. Powers.
was abruptly notified that Bar
bara had been taken away by
two Russian guards.
The lawyers first instinct
Twas 70 notify the American
Embassy, but he remembered
its warning to stay away ex-
cept as a last resort. For close
to four hours, he resisted the
temptation to act. But by 6
O'Clock he decided he would
have to go to the Embassy. He
called his car and was about
to leave the hotel when Bar
bara walked in the front door.
She had been taken to Lubian-
ka Prison, she explained. for a
last visit with Gary.
They had been left alone in
a small room for an hour. All
Of the guards withdrew when
Barbara arrived and she as
Sumed she could at last speak
freely to her husband. But Gary
cut her off sharply with an
abrupt motion toward the walls.
They talked cautiously for sew
eral minutes, mainly about
things she might send him.
Then Gary took her hand
and she could feel a blunt pin
between his fingers. BY cupping
their hands, he was able to
scratch a few letters on her
palm with the pin. Barbara
phrased a question with guard
ed allusion to things that had
meaning only to them. Gary
scratched an answer on her
palm.
For the first time in 100
days, they were, In a sense,
alone, exchanging the secrets
of a man and his wife.
Sunday: Cloak and Dagger,