Powell Trip a Tropical Tobacco Talk

Former U.S. Secretary of State Colin L. Powell is in the U.S. Virgin Islands vacationing after delivering a speech on leadership to tobacco sales executives, officials said yesterday.

On Monday, Powell addressed officials working for Richmond- based tobacco company Philip Morris USA, according to Dana Bolden, a Philip Morris spokesman.

Powell declined to comment when an Associated Press reporter approached him on a beach near the Westin Resort in St. John and asked him if he had given a speech to Philip Morris. He replied that he was on vacation.

Powell was reading a magazine and sitting alone in a beach lounger under an umbrella, wearing shorts and a white collared T- shirt emblazoned with the U.S. State Department's emblem.

He arrived Sunday in St. John, the smallest of the three islands in the U.S. Caribbean territory, and was scheduled to return to Washington today, said Peggy Cifrino, a Powell spokeswoman.

Cifrino also confirmed that Powell had given a speech in the territory but said she did not have any other details.

Powell is believed to be among some 200 people and groups nominated for this year's Nobel Peace Prize. Powell may be nominated for his efforts to end Sudan's 21-year civil war.

Powell, of Jamaican descent, was secretary of state in President Bush's first term, which ended in January. Condoleezza Rice is the current secretary.

The tiny island of St. John is more than two-thirds national park and is known for its hiking, pristine beaches and tranquility. It also has an underwater snorkeling trail.

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