Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-02-10
POWERS
Continued From Page AL

ton still OF interest to the
Soviet Union although be was
in American custody well over
four years.
In Berlin Short Time
Capt. Powers remained in
Berlin only a short time. He
travelled In an American Air
Force plane to Wiesbaden to-
day and switched flights for
the United States. He is ex-
pected to undergo lengthy in
terrogation by American au-
thoritieS, as did the two cap
tured RB-47 pilots after the
Soviet Union released them in
early 1861.
The plane taking Capt.
Powers to Washington was be-
lieved to have taken off be-
tween $3.50 and 10 am. (4:30
and 5 am. EST. However, the
Air Force refused to reveal any
details about the flight.
Both the Eisenhower and
Kennedy administrations con-
sidered swapping Col. Abel for
Capt. Powers. There were ru-
mors, never officially con-
firmed, that Mr.. Kennedy dis
cussed the possibility with
Premier Khrushchev at their
get-acquainted little summit"
meeting in Vienna last June.
Authoritative sources said the
deal was not discussed by
Press Secretary Salinger in his
recent meetings with Soviet
Press Chief Kharlamov or
Izvestia Editor Alexei Adzhubei.
President Notified
They would not say whether
American Ambassador Level
lyn Thompson had discussed
the matter with Soviet Foreign
Minister GromYko in any of
their recent meetings.
President Kennedy was given
the news of the actual ex-
change from West Berlin
about five minutes after it
took place. Then newsmen were
called in at 3:15 am. to hear
the announcement from Mr..
Salinger.
Capt. Powers wife Barbara
was elated by the news. "I'm
SO happy my heart is
bursting" she told an Asso-
ciated Press reporter who
called her at Milledgeville, Ga.
Capt. Powers father, Oliver
Powers, in Norton. Va, said,
MY wife and I were asleep
when the big word came, but
it's not very hard to keep
awake now" The couple were
told to prepare to travel to
meet their son. I'VE don't
know where we're going, but
we're ready" Mr.. Powers said.
The bridge where the ORA
matte exchange took place
connects Potsdam, the site of
the 1945 summit meeting of
Truman, Stain and Churchill,
with Wannsee in the south
western section of West Berlin.
Travelled by Air
Capt. Powers and Col. Abel
were escorted simultaneously
onto the Glienicker Bridge,
officials said.
When the American pilot was
brought to East Berlin from
his prison cell, believed to have
been in Moscow, was not i'm
mediately disclosed.
Col. Abel was taken by air
from the Federal penitentiary
in Atlanta to New York early
Wednesday. The next day he
flew to Tempelhof airport in
West Berlin from MCGUIRE Air
Force Base at Fort Dix, N. j.
He arrived Friday afternoon
and was kept in custody at a
West Berlin prison until this
morning.
A New York District Court
jury convicted Col. Abel on
october Is, 1857, on three
counts: Conspiracy to transmit
defense information to the So
Wet Union sentence of 80
years.; conspiracy to obtain
defense information 90 years
and $4,000 fine); conspiracy to
act in the United States as an
agent for a foreign government
without notification to the Sec
rotary of State Give years and
$1,000.
The sentences were meted
out November Is, 1857, and
Judge Mortimer w. Byers ruled
they could be served concur
rently. Col. Abel lost an appeal
to the Supreme Court on March
%, 1860.
Capt. Powers was sentenced
August 10, 1860, after a show
trial in Moscow. There was al
most immediate speculation
that an exchange for Col. Abel
might be arranged because of
the light sentence given Capt.
Powers.
Mr.. Donovan, who had been
appointed Col. Abels lawyer on
a recommendation of the New
York Bar Association, received
a letter from Abel's wife in late
1860 from. East Germany. She
appealed for clemency for her
husband.
The New York lawyer, former
general counsel for the Office
of Strategic Services in World
War II and later a member OF
the United States legal staff
during the Nuremberg war
crimes trials, informed the JUS
tice Department he had re-
ceived the letter.
Appealed to President
Then he wrote Mrs. Abel
suggesting she appeal to Presi-
49, D@-~nIxy oftnr hn fnAH