Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-03-17
OVERFLIGHTS
INVENT
Better Alaska Air Defense
Is Needed, Governor Says
Continued From Page A.

Continued From Page Al
the March is time used in the
protest note.
The two Soviet planes, the
defense department told news
men, we're flying in trail, mean
ing more or less In line, as
they approached Alaskan ter
ritory. Their flights In and out
we're not, however, exactly the
same.
Too Late to Intercept Planes
The aircraft flew across the
Bering Sea from the southwest,
entering Alaskan territory over
Kuskokwim Bay and departing
in the vicinity Of Hooper Bay.
One Of the planes on a west
erly course flew over Nunivak
island. The other on a more
northwesterly bearing flew over
Nelson Island.
The Pentagon said there was
no doubt that the two were
reconnaissance aircraft and
they we're so referred to in the
note delivered in Moscow.
American fighters which sped
aloft from an Alaskan alert
base-the Defense Department
did not identifyit-were un-
able to intercept the planes
usually but did spot and fol-
low them by radar.
The United States fighters
did not fire, officials said, be-
cause the intruders displayed
no hostile intent and because
they we're clearly on a course
leading away from Alaska by
the time of interrogation.
The Soviet craft were clicked
at $50 TO 400 knots-around
400 to 460 miles an hour -
relatively slow in the Jet age.
The planes were flying at H.
900 to 10000 feet and we're
originally picked up by radar.
The weather, authorities here
said, was poor.
No Evasive Action
Reports to the Defense De-
partment gave no evidence that
the two Soviet craft took any
kind Of evasive action. Defense
officials said they we're not in
range of the Nike anti-air-
craft missile sites.
Complaints about overflights
have become common during
the cold war conflict over the
last is years. But the great
bulk Of them have been made
by the Soviet Union against the
United States aggression or hos
panied by angry accommodations
in propaganda charges of
United States aggression or hos
tile intent against Communist
countries.
With the shoe on the other
foot this time, the Kremlin
made no immediate comment
on the incident on the United
States protest, and there was
no mention of 1t in the Mos
COW press or radio.
The note which Ambassador
Kohler delivered to Soviet
Deputy Foreign Minister Vastly
Kuznetsov was extraordinarily
brief and devoid of name call
ing or charges of hostile in
tention. 1t left the door wide |
open for Russia to acknowlege
the incident and apologize if
IL WlSneo 70 DO so. 4
Kennedy Avoids Comment
The note simply said that
ut has been established that
two Soviet reconnaissance air.
craft violated United States
airsapce over Alaska on March
is, 1868"
1t then gave the position Of
alleged violation. 1t said that
both planes FLEW off in the
of the Soviet Union. /"
THE United Safes govern
ment." the note said, protest
these overflights of United
States territory by Soviet air.
craft and expects that the
Soviet government viii take all
necessary measures to prevent
any repetition"
At Palm Beach, Fla. where
President Kennedy is spending
the week end. Press Secretary
Pierre Salinger said there would
be no comment. 1t was under
stood that Mr.. Kennedy had I
been informed Immediately Of
the overflights and was aware
Of the contents Of the protest
note.
Other OverfIights Claimed
Senator Bartlett voiced hope
the overnight was an accident,
that we've had mis-
adventures ourselves" With
out knowing whether it was an
accident, he said, he would not
say the planes should have
been shot down any more than
he would say United States
planes which strayed off
course by accident should have
been downed.
Senator Hickenlooper OF
Iowa. senior Republican on
the Senate Foreign Relations
Committee. said he thinks
there have been other Russian
flights over United Safes ter
ritory.
II am glad we are on the
alert for them" he said. IF |