Telegram from American Embassy in Moscow to Secretary of State on Francis Gary Powers Trial

This telegram to the Secretary of State from the American Embassy in Moscow describes reactions from President Eisenhower and the Soviet press relating to the trial of Francis Gary Powers, the pilot of the American U-2 spy plane that crashed in the Soviet Union in May 1960.

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INCOMING TELEGRAM 1 epartment of Stai. u-2 WH 58 OFFICIAL USF ONLY Classification Control : 11422 Action Rec'd: AUGUST 18, 1960 EUR 1:49 P M FROM: MOSCOW Info SS TO: Secretary of State G SP ) NO: 448, AUGUST 18, 5 P M C L H BR1EF TASS DISPATCH IN SOVIET PRESS ON PRESIDENT'S AUGUST 17 IO PRESS CONFERENCE STATES CORRESPONDENTS ASKED MANY QUESTIONS P ABOUT POWERS TRIAL. IN ANSWERING QUESTION WHETHER POWERS US IA S CA "SPECIALLY WORKED OVER AND PROPAGANDIZED, !Y EISENHOWER SAID MOP IN HIS OPINION IT COMPLETELY CLEAR POWERS DID NOT UNDERGO OCB SPECIAL WORKING OVER. PRESIDENT POINTED OUT HE DID NOT WISH IRC COMMENT ON TRIAL AS HIS COMMENT COULD SCARCELY HELP. CIA NSA TASS STATES AT END CONFERENCE PRESIDENT ASKED COMMENT ON OSD ASSERTION THAT GOVERNMENT USA ON TRIAL WITH POWERS. ARMY DISTORTING PRESIDENT'S REMARKS AS CARRIED BY USIA BULLETIN, NAVY TASS SAID "EISENHOWER LIMITED REPLY TO REPETITION ALREADY AIR KNOWN AMERICAN OFFICIAL VERSION THAT POWERS SENT USSR FOR NIC ESPIONAGE PURPOSES AS EXCESSIVE SECRECY SOVIET UNION HINDERS RMR RULING CIRCLES USA FROM LEARNING SOVIET STATE SECRETS. AND THIS IN WORDS PRESIDENT SUPPOSEDLY NECESSARY FOR DEFENCE USA." THOMPSON MGG/21 REPRODUCTION FROM THIS COPY IS PROHIBITED. OFFICIAL USE ONLY UNLESS "UNCLASSIFIED" Classification