CONGRESSIONAL RECORD --SENATE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP64B00346R000200140064-9
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 9
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 22, 2004
• Sequence Number: 64
• Publication Date: January 1, 1961
• Content Type: OPEN

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1461
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD - SENATE
r
honor" in order to block the rescue of
fellow human beings.
Is it honorable to abandon these 1,200
men who are now at the mercy of the
Cuban dictatorship when there is an op-
pol-tunity to save them?
I would remind my brethren of the
story of the Good Samaritan. I would
remind them of the number who passed
by=that one *ho lay in the road, injured,
and of the Good Samaritan who cared
for that injured man, even though he
went. against the mores of his time.
lank of undo r-
stanaing of the regal y ---
proposal of the Tractors for Freedom I favor what we are doing, because it is
proposal
Committee. The distinguished Ameri- morally right, it is politically right, it is
can historian, Prof. Merle Curti, of the spiritually right. It fits in with my re-
University of Wisconsin, has stressed the lgious beliefs. I say that any man who
long and honorable American tradition reads the Scriptures and believes what
of charitable contributions to save those he reads, cannot fail to recognize the
who suffer from war and revolution. In- importance of saving lives. All too often
deed, this is an Anglo-American tradi- we Americans equate strength with sim-
tion whi,ch goes back to the Elizabethan ple brute power. I say there is strength
Statute of Charitable Uses of 1601, au- in humility; there is strength in love;
thorizing charity for the "relief and re- there is strength in goodness; there is
demption of prisoners and captives." strength in justice; there is strength in
Mr. President, this is a part of the very compassion. To my mind, the strongest
legal and moral fabric of western civil- man who ever lived or ever will live was
Ization and of Anglo-Saxon law. the Man of Galilee; and his life was
The Father of our Country, President dedicated to love, compassion, justice,
George Washington, in 1790, obtained peace, and humility.
from the Congress funds for the relief And to my mind, the weakest man
of the victims of the revolution in Santo is the brute.
Domingo. Here was the first President I am happy to join on the side of those
of the United States not only personally who believe in justice and compassion
involved in a mission of mercy and res- and decency.
cue, but even officially supporting a Fed- Mr. President, at a time when disorder
eral appropriation for the purpose. and violence reign widespread, when
As Professor Curti has so ably stated, headlines scream of torture and death,
those who cry that there is no legal the world is hungry for a reaffirmation
precedent for the indirect involvement of compassion and mercy; and I can
of the U.S. Government do so from a think of no better country from which
defective knowledge of law and history. that affirmation should come than from
I ask unanimous consent that the our own beloved America. We are proud
of our churches. Let us be proud not
Curti joined by by Prof Professor G. W, illiewhich was only of the physical edifices of the
re- the churches, but of their spiritual message
University y . Irvin , of
Univeof Wisconsin, s the
poted nand was as well. It is communism, it is dicta-
Press, this morning this in the ate torship, which repudiates human values,
RECORD, , in printed at connection twith point my t remarks. which rejects human dignity, which
RECORD, human lives for the purposes of the
There being no objection, the state- state. It is communism, it is dictator-
ment was ordered to be printed in the ship which places false pride and arro-
RECORD, as follows: gant power above justice and mercy.
Opponents of the drive to exchange 500 Had we not boldly declared that hu-
American tractors for 1,200 prisoners held by
the Cuban Government "speak from a de-
fective knowledge of law and history" a
Pulitzer Prize winning historian said today.
Dr. Merle E. Curti, in a joint statement
with a faculty colleague, Irvin G. Willie of
the University of Wisconsin, traced to Eng-
land's Elizabethan Statute of Charitable
Uses, adopted in 1601, the "release and re-
demption of prisoners and captives" has a
valid use of charity.
The statement noted that in 1790 Presi-
bt i d from Con-
ne
Mr. COOPER. Mr. President, at this
point will the Senator from Minnesota
yield?
Mr. HUMPHREY. Mr. President, I
prefer to complete my remarks first, if
the Senator from Kentucky will permit.
Mr. COOPER. Very well.
Mr. HUMPHREY. But, Mr. President,
even if there were no historical prece-
dents to justify the action of free Amer-
ican citizens in voluntarily joining to-
gether for the purpose of saving these
1,200 lives, I would still be for it. y
8555
critical situation that has existed so long
throughout Latin America.
Mr. Nixon is wrong on every count
when he attacks the President and the
Tractors for Freedom Committee. First
of all, he is morally wrong. He flies
squarely in the face of the whole Judeo-
Christian heritage.
Secondly, he is legally wrong, and he
is ranked on the wrong side from both
the present President of the United
States and the first President.
Third, he is politically wrong, for, as
it has been so amply documented earlier
today by the director of the United
States Information Agency, the political
reaction throughout Latin America, and
indeed the whole non-Communist world,
has enthusiastically supported the posi-
tion of the President and the committee,
and, may I say, condemned the cynical,
cruel proposal and purposes of Mr.
Castro.
Mr. Nixon has struck out, and it is
now time that he gracefully bowed out
and permitted Americans of good will to
rally behind the humanitarian effort to
save lives and to release freedom fighters
from prison camps. I hope he will help
in this effort, and I appeal to him to do
so.
Those who have charged that Ameri-
ca shows weakness because we are will-
ing to ransom 1,200 freedom fighters
cannot be serious.
Who but those who would make any
attack for political purposes would make
a statement like that? Who would seri-
ously believe that America's colossal
military strength is in any way threat-
ened by the addition of 500 American
tractors to the Cuban economy?
As I said Thursday, Czechoslavakian
tractors can be moved into Cuba just
as easily as tanks and aircraft have
been moved in. It is not a question of
whether or not tractors are going to be
sent to Cuba.
It is a question of whether Cuban
patriots are going to be? permitted to rot
in jail or to die before the Castro firing
squads.
I think it is appropriate to ask: What
do those who are critics of the proposal
suggest we do? Do they suggest we ig-
nore the Cuban patriots? Do they sug-
man beings are worth more than gest we do nothing? Do they suggest
tractors, we should have been no better that we stand on pride while men who
than the cynical despot who ranks trusted us die for it?
tractors above people. I say again that a great nation like
Mr. President, I hear today from many the United States demonstrates strength,
voices in America that we should not not weakness, when it takes action to
be helping these prisoners, because that save human lives.
would somehow demean us. Mr. President, this morning at-10:30, Vice I have noted that the former as Mr. Edward R. Murrow, Director of
President o the United States has USIA, issued a statement which sum-
sum-
charged that t it was morally wrong and marines the width and the depth of sup-
marizes
dent George Washington o a
?? gress funds for release of victims of the unwise for the United States to trace port ythroughout the Americas for the
revolution of Santo Domingo. It added:- 500 tractors for 1,200 prisoners, and has position of the President Americas for the the Unite
"Here was the Father of the Country, while urged our President to withdraw his ap- pSateo and the Tractors for Freedom
he was President, not only personally in- proval of this transaction. He even went Committee.
volved but also supporting a Federal appro- so far as to say that the freedom of 5
priation for the victims of a foreign revolu, million Cubans could be delayed by try- I ask unanimous consent for the print-
tion, ing to win freedom for 1,200 brave young ing at this point in the RECCRD of the
'?`President. Kennedy has historical and men. This is not a fact. It is merely full summary of Latin American edi-
n co-
hass s stand ds be. the. an assertion. It is a statement without tonal comment and Latin American co-
legal a long and precedent on his American rica
hind hind the granting of charitable assistance to support. We had a right to expect more operative efforts to supplement the
those who suffer in consequence of war." from one who knows only too well the. United States effort to rescue the pris-
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~~~A~:1~~ItI~NSENATE May 29
oners of Castro and the statement of mantled $15 million in pieces of gold. This "Tractors for Ransom Committee" and San
Edward R. Murrow, ]director, U.S. In- is the cost of 500 bulldozers or tractors. The Ignacio Social Christian Organization.
formation Agency. Philippine paper added: "The whole thing The reaction in the Latin American press
There being no objection, the summary sounds like a page from old history." has been extremely critical from both con-
and statement were ordered io be painted Western Europe servatives and liberals. The far leftist press
in the RECORD, as follows: Turin, Italy's left-of-center La Stampa has chosen to remain silent thus far, and
STATEMENT OF EDWARD R.:Muznow, DIRECTOR stated: "The U.S. Government accepted Cas- has limited itself to straight wire service
U.S. INFORMATION AGENCY, MAY 29, 1961 tro's cynical blackmail for humanitarian reporting of the offer with no editorial com-
Perhaps I should begin by apologizing for Germany's independent Stuttgarter Nach- resentative of the general reaction through-
interrupting a pleasant weekend, however, I richten editorialized: "Cardinals, trade un-
will not be out Latin America:
trust that the information we have collected ion leaders, Democrats, Republicans * * * let Argentina
found unpleacoing. themselves be blackmailed in the interest of La Capital, Rosario (moderately liberal; a
This Agency, as is its custom, has been humanity. They do a good deed because they leading provincial daily): conducting a continuing survey of press and
radio reaction to Fidel Castro`; offer to ex- cannot do better one. Unfortunately, the proposition has again shaken the fee world
c
change prisoners for tractors, It is clear peoples cannot sell their tyrants for tractors." with its brutality and utilitarianism, free
that Castro has blustered hie way into a Soviet of any human feeling."
major blunder. With a single utterance he As far as can be ascertained, Soviet propa- country's y's leading ng daily) da Aires (liberal; the
has erased that narrow line of philosophy gandists have up to now not commented on are og lea: In but they there
and tactics that separates communism. from Castro's trade proposal, and Moscow might been replaced are nr gas chambers in use; but thhave
fascism. well be unwilling to handle this rather with the execution wall."
Almost without exception the press and shoddy affair propagandistically until It dis- La Nation, Buenos Aires (moderately lib-
radio of the free world have drawn the ob- cerns the prevailing wind of world reactions. era); a leading daily) : "In general, the pro-
vious parallel between hi;; ;prop )sal and that Despite the overall: condemnation in Latin posal is a surprising recourse" which arises
of the Germans when they offered to trade America, there have been no suggestions from the possibility American steps
Jews for trucks. Castro revealed himself opos r against his lCastro's] regime."
an outright rejection of the Castro proposal
for what he is and U.S.. reaction reflected but there have been offers by various organ- Brazil
what we are. Most of the free world :found izations in the area to raise funds or pro- Diario Carioca, Rio de Janeiro (liberal; a
our response to the offer to he in accord vide tratcors. leading daily) : "The ransom operation now
with our heritage and tradition of regard 1. Independent center Messengers of Rome being negotiated in Washington reveals in
for the individual. Castro has damaged headlined: "America will export tractors to all its hideousness the inhuman nature of
the cause of communism. His senior part- Cuba to redeem anti-Castro prisoners--dra- the Cuban revolution."
ners in Moscow and Peiping have not sup- matic charges from Americans repatriated 0 Globo, Rio de Janeiro (moderately lib-
ported him. from the island against communist dictator eral; country's largest circulation: "Hitler
There is a groundswell of dic gust welling regime. Terror in Cuba-opposition over- wanted to trade Jews for trucks; Fidel Castro
up in Latin America. We have prepared for thrown with force." wants to trade Cubans for tractors. It may
you a summary of press reaction, Frorn both 2. Paris daily Combat: "It is difficult to be that this shows progress or superiority
conservative and liberal newspapers, from of communism or socialism-as the -Cuban
Government figures, from committees, and understand that committee composed of high regime prefers to be called in order to create
voluntary groups, the comment is the same. American personalities as ready to collect confusion=over nazism, but we can't see
This has been accompanied by demonstra- money to make this odious deal possible. any."
tions for freedom bystuder. students, women, legis- The reference to the Nazi regime has not Colombia
tions for favor of the United Sbates. embarrassed Castro, not even memory of
lators Castro's offer has been called blackmail. famous exchange of Jews against trucks." El Espectador, Bogota, (strongly liberal;
That tr a handy hard, but called bla Note: Castro's tractor proposal was wi country's second largest circulation) :
tries censure of the act s;IIn civilized anal, run to the reported in L'Humanite, Paris-Jour, France- dely Even though the exchange has been
Soir, Liberation, Monde, Figaro. suggested in terms that shame humanity, we
blackmailer not to the black;ma:iled. As Dr, believe that it should be accepted."
Milton Eisenhower observed, a :pother pay- 3. Brussels Labor Catholic La Cite: La Republica, Go ota
con-
ing ransom to regain the life (f a child is "Everywhere, Castro's? offer is being judged g (moderately severe) reminds - us of Hitler's offer to always v be a leading daily) : "Freedom will
not denounced because she deals with a y' It always be dear; there will always be men
n
blackmailer. The calumny is cn the head exchange Jews against trucks. In 1944, Joel
the wronged. - proposal: 1 million Jews, still alive, against Costa Rica
In recent days, after more than a week 10,000 trucks. Mr. Castro is willing to remit La Republica, San Jose (Costa Rica's lead-
of hesitation, Communist radio stations are to the Americans 1,20(1 prisoners in exchange ing liberal daily) : "Fidel Castro committed
calling Castro's offer an act; of humanitarian- for 500 tractors. In the first case, a truck the mistake of aiming at a target that
ism, but t-the Communist press, particularly was worth 10,000 human beings, in the sec- brought into action the most notable char-
in Latin America, has maintained what; can - and, 2%2 human beings suffice to get a acteristic of the North American people,
only be described as an embarrassed silence. tractor. You can see It: Humanity advances generosity * * * This has always been the
The U.S. Information Agency can claim with giant steps in the direction of a golden error of the Communists, they work on
no credit for this widespread response of age Under the sign of respect for the indi- numbers and figures, and forget that there
revulsion. It was not our informational vidual. Castro's barter proposal makes us are only human beings."
propaganda that produced-the result. Such sick by its disgusting cynicism. Human Dfario de Costa Rica, San Jose (Costa
editorial reaction cannot be persuaded or being are not machines. They have hearts, Rica's leading conservative daily) : "The offer
purchased. The reaction in Lavin America and In the hearts of -these humiliated and is not surprising since Castro is "possessed
and elsewhere was the response of free men offended people, anger is growing, it is by devils, a Marxist, an atheist, and in-
to an offer to trade men for machines. The growing, and some day, it is going to ex- human.' "
result was predictable. Had the people of plode." Ecuador
this country remained mute, the reaction LATIN AMERICAN SUMMARY (MAY 24, 1961) El Telegrafo, Guayaquil (liberal; influen-
would have undoubtedly been Otherwise. - U.S. INFORMATION AGENCY tial), kept up an editorial barrage for 3
The extent of the adverse reaction that consecutive days:
REACTIQN TO CASTRO'SPRISONERS-FOR-TRACTORS is sweeping Latin America can be gaged by "Even though- this Is a filthy blackmail, I
PROPOSAL the growing number of committees arising believe the sinoids should be given the ma-
NONAMERICAN (SUMMARIZED MAY 23, 1961) throughout the area for the purpose of col- chines they want because it might be that
Far East letting funds to purchase the tractors. To tomorrow they would want to trade Roa for
Tokyo's Mainichi Shimbun (independent), date, not counting committees formed by a still."
in its commentary column, called the Offer the Cuban exile groups, nine have been "We must insure in every way that the
fantastic. Its Washington correspondent, in reported, including the exiled Nicaraguan prisoners really regain their freedom. No
a separate background story, reported: "The revolutionary movement. O Estado de Sao precaution is amiss with the bearded or bar-
Castro demand- reminded us of orted "The Paulo, Brazil's leading, daily, has offered a baric Red autocrat of. America." chmann' `human-for-goods' demand in which hs tractor on its own and in addition is "The baseness of the proposal made by
asked for XO,000 trucks in exchange for the coordinating a drive to collect further funds. Fidel Castro-always faithful to Isis code of
freedom of a million Jews." "* * * this Nazi In Honduras, a former Communist and extermination-will serve to enhance the no-
example is apparently being followed by the Castro-supporter, Roberto Dominguez Agur- bility of North American democracy, because
Castro regime." cia, has formed the Frente Hondureno Pro- the people of the United States are ready
Manila's The Manila Chronicle stated: "In Liberacionde Cuba and Is now engaged in a to collect the necessary funds to purchase
these modern times we are witnessing an funds-for-tractors drive. - the 500 tractors."
anachronistic spectacle in the negotiations to In Caracas the papers Esfera and Universal - Guatemala
ransom prisoners of Fidel Castro. The carried ads attributed to "mothers of Vene- El Impartial, Guatemala City (liberal and
bearded dictator might as well have de- zuela" asking for donations and signed often critical of the United States, a leading
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1961 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD - SENATE
daily) : "The totalitarian cynicism has ex-
ceeded all limits with two facts that revolt
the conscience of all decent men: the first
is~ the sordid valuation of human life made
by Castro in offering to trade the prisoners
for tractors, the mockery is debasing to the
Cuban people and to the one who made it."
Nicaragua
La Prensa, Managua (moderately conser-
vative, a leading daily) : "It is awful to know
that in this America of ours, so far removed
in time and space from the Saracen coast,
first to emancipate the slaves and first to
claim all the freedoms, slavery has now es-
tablished itself at a level much more mate-
rialistic and commercial than that known
by the Babylonians, Assyrians, Phoenicians,
Greeks, or Romans."
Panama
El Pais, Panama City (moderately liberal,
a leading daily) : "No one with a particle
of respect for his own nationality could
think of selling his countrymen for tools.
It is paradoxical that.the 'aggressors' should
be the onus outdoing themselves to collect
funds with which to save the lives of the
Cuban citizens who are persecuted in their
own country."
Peru
Ultima Hora (a leading daily, moderately
conservative) : "The proposal shows the false
apostle in his true light. It shows him to
be the vilest huckster among the agents of
Soviet imperialism. As if it were not enough
that he has tried to sell his country to the
Moscow hierarchs, he now makes his cynical
offer to trade patriots for tractors."
Uruguay
El Plata, Montevideo (Blanco Party organ,
conservative, a leading daily) : "One thing
should have become clear * * * the Fidel
Castro regime has reached a degree of de-
generacy and brutality that revolts human
understanding."
El Bien Publico (Catholic conservative),
La Manana (moderately liberal), and El
Pais (moderately conservative) all compared
the Castro offer to the Eichmann -exchange
of Jews for trucks.
Venezuela
El Mundo, Caracas (leftist liberal, often
critical of the United States). "With this
offer to trade men for trucks (sic), in addi-
tion,to the policy of the firing squad, Fidel
.Castro has enthroned antlhumanism in
America." (Note: A direct slap at Fidel's
claim of "humantsmo" for his revolution.)
COMMENT FROM WESTERN EUROPE
Vienna
Neue Tageszeitung: "The civilized world
has been overcome by so many unheard of
things since the end of the war that it is no
longer easy today to shock it. But the Cuba
'enfant terrible' Fidel Castro has obviously
succeeded In shocking the world by his
amazing offer to exchange 1,200 Cuban refu
gees who were captured during the ill-fated
invasion attempt for 500 American bull-
dozers * * *. For which purpose does the
dictator of Cuba need 500 of these big ma-
chines? For the building of airfields and
other military installations? For such a pur-
pose he is even willing to touch dirty Yankee
bills, and the committee will see to it that
he gets them. Thus the Whole business is
rather disagreeable."
Graz
Graz Catholic Daily (Vienna) : "The very
same deal, though in larger proportions, had
been suggested to the Western Allies by
Eichmann in the final phase of World War
II. Through a go-between Eichmann made
the following offer to America and Britain:
1 million Jews would be saved from the
extermination camps if 10,000 trucks were
supplied for Hitler's armies. It is the same
evil spirit that manifests itself here bru-
tally-with Castro as well as with Eichmann,
with the Fascist dictatorship as well as with
the Communist people's democracy."
Stuttgart
Stuttgarter Nachrichten (independent) :
"Like a medieval ruler or a modern robber
chief, Castro has asked for a ransom for his
prisoners. He has requested 500 American
tractors, most likely delivered to the door, in
return for 1,200 prisoners, Cuban opponents
to Castro."
Turin, Italy
La Stamps, (influential, left-of-center) :
"U.S. Government accepted Castro's cynical
blackmail for humanitarian reasons. Castro
having threatened to send the political pris-
oners to forced labor."
Frankfurt
Frankfurter Neue Prezse linked the race
riots in Alabama with the Castro tractor
subject, and concluded that "it is tragic that
this outbreak serves to cover up the much
crasser brutality of Moscow's fellow-traveler,
Fidel Castro."
LATEST REACTIONS (MAY 25, 1961) TO THE
TRACTOR-FOR-PEOPLE DEAL
Communist: First Communist commentary
on the Cuban proposal came from Moscow
and East Germany on May 24. The comment
focuses on the alleged humanitarianism of
Castro's exchange proposal. East Germany
manages to avoid any reference to the trac-
tor aspect, and stresses instead the fact that
the exchange proposed is only another indi-
cation of the benevolent Cuban attitude
toward the counterrevolutionaries and a
"manifestation of the internal soildarity of
the country?" Moscow deplored U.S. cyni-
cism and hypocrisy which asked average
Americans to contribute a dollar toward the
purchase of the bulldozers while withholding
from them the fact that tens of millions of
dollars will be spent to maintain counter-
revolutionary forces.
Latin America: In Uruguay eight mass-
circulation papers have started a fund to buy
tractors. In the Brazilian state of Sao Paulo
a deputy introduced a proposal in the state
assembly calling for authorization for the
state to buy a tractor to exchange for Cuba
prisoners. And in Buenos Aires, 53 deputies
of Frondizi's Party condemned the exchange
proposed by Castro. They submitted a draft
resolution in Parliament by which the House
of Deputies would "condemn the inhuman
policy pursued by Fidel Castro's dictatorial
regime, which oppressed our sister Republic
of Cuba, in its offer to exchange prisoners
for tractors, thus reviving the policy pur-
sued by Nazi totaliarianism in offering the
dramatic choice of blood for trucks."
One deputy also asked the Parliament to
approach all (South) American Parliaments
to issue statements condemning Fidel Castro
similar to the one he and his colleagues are
sponsoring.
Cuba: Cuban output manifests continu-
ing sensitivity over comparisons made be-
tween Castro's offer and Nazi tactics. It hits
back both at Americans and at Cubans living
abroad by trying to smear them with the
label of racists and Nazis. At the same time
Cuba enlarges on the theme that the Castro
proposal, which at best is partial compensa-
tion for damages suffered, is "motivated by
the highest standards of humanity."
' FIDEL CASTRO'S BARTER PROPOSAL
A groundswell of criticism against Fidel
Castro's offer to barter prisoners for tractors
is rising throughout Latin America.
Newspapers of widely varying political
leanings are branding the deal editorially as
"inhuman," and "filthy blackmail." Numer-
ous groups have been organized to join
U.S. private efforts to raise funds for tractors.
Virtually the only oversee, comment favor-
able to Dr.. Castro's offer has come from
8557
Cuba Itself, and from Communist bloc
countries.
A Government controlled station, radio
Mambi of Havana, declared that the pris-
oners "can only be considered as cheap mer-
chandise, commercial objects which can be
exchanged for other objects-'worm' for
'caterpillar'-because the English word
'caterpillar' means cheap worm."
In a recent Spanish language broadcast,
radio Moscow referred to the offer as an act
of great humanitarianism.
Here is a country-by-country roundup of
reaction in the Americas.
ARGENTINA
On May 23, a group of citizens in Buenos
Aires demonstrated in front of the Cuban
Embassy carrying posters 6ondemning the
Castro dictatorship. The Argentine League
for the Protection of Children has cabled the
Cuban Government asking a cessation of
hostilities.
Reputy Oscar Lopez Serrot introduced a
bill in the Argentine Chamber of Deputies
expressing the Chamber's "repudiation of
the inhuman policy of the dictatorial regime
of Fidel Castro of offering an exchange of
prisoners for tractors, reviving the Nazi offer
of 'blood for trucks.' * * *"
The Argentine Association for the United
Nations declared that "to accept today as a
possible transaction the sale of lives, whether
in money or in kind, signals a marked process
of breakdown in the difficult fight for the
recognition of the rights of man and the
safeguarding of those rights. The proposal
is inconceivable and unacceptable."
La Capital of Rosario declared: "The in-
credible proposition has again shaken the
free world with its brutality and utilitar-
ianism, free of any human feeling."
La Prensa, Buenos Aires: "The dilemma
is not very different from nazism. In Cuba
there are no gas chambers in use; but they
have been replaced with the execution wall."
La Nacion, Buenos Aires: "* * * a sur-
prising recourse * * *. To exchange pris-
for tractors is equivalent to subscrib-
oners
ing to a proclamation of abomination of the
human state."
BOLIVIA
Presencia, La Paz: Calling the offer "an-
other move in Castro's tragic circus," this
newspaper called on individuals to con-
tribute toward the purchase of tractors.
Ultima Hora, La Paz: Declared Castro's
offer is worse than the Nazis since "Castro
is trading his own countrymen."
BRAZIL
The newspaper 0 Estado de Sao Paulo
offered to contribute one tractor to the
fund. It said this announcement was fol-
lowed immediately "by calls to the editorial
office offering the most spontaneous and
warm support." The newspaper added:' "We
understand the broad significance of the
support our readers give us to be a reflec-
tion of the public opinion that at this hour
is sweeping all around the Americas, and
from which the Brazilian people would not
be absent."
Diario Carioca, Rio de Janeiro: "The ran-
som operation now being negotiated in Wash-
ington reveals in all its hideousness the
inhuman nature of the Cuban revolution."
0 Globo, Rio de Janeiro: "Hitler wanted
to trade Jews for trucks; Fidel Castro wants
to trade Cubans for tractors. It may be that
this shows progress or superiority of com-
munism, of 'socialism'-as the Cuban regime
prefers to be called in order to create. confu-
sion-over nazism, but we can't see any."
COLOMBIA
Colombian women have started a fund-
raising campaign declaring that this occa-
sion "offers all free people of our hemisphere
the opportunity to demonstrate to the entire
world our Christian sentiments and the re-
spect that democracies hold for human life,"
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Participants expressed hope that "all women
of Latin America" would support the drive.
The group said "we are ready to begin vari-
ous, public collections immediate:.y, to 'visit
industries, commerce, establishments of all
kinds, to see 'aid large or small in the streets
from all free and Christian Colembfane. to
help buy tractors to save lives."
El Espectador, Bogota "Even though the
exchange has been suggested. in terms that
shame humanity, we believe that it should
be accepted." The proposal "* * * con-
tributes to nothing beyond making more
outstanding the enormous :mistake made by
Castro once again by assuming that with
this show of 'generosity' he would lessen the
unpopularity of the- repressive sy$tem he
instituted fronp~da# the time he assumed power."
La Republica, Bogota: "R*eedc.m will al-
ways be dear; there will always - be men
ready- to purchase it whatever the price
El Ti,pmpo, Bogota "Fidel Castro's laro-
posal to exchange human lives for farm im-
plements belongs to the lowest category. A
bunch of tractors are the price, according to
his mentality and conscience, for the right
of his war prisoners to regain freedom. In
terms of manufactured iron, their patriotism
and bravery in trying to liberate their coun-
try-are-evaluated. * * * There 13 no doubt
that the American people will give all they
can to show the world that in this continent
the spirit of liberty and Christianism stands
generously and with solidarity."
COSTA RICA
The manager of a radio station in San Jose,
Leonel Pinto, has started it fund raising
movement and has cabled Mrs. Roosevelt of-
fering cooperation. Otherpress and radio
people, as well as an engineer and a legis-
lator, have joined the effort.
La Republica, San Jose: "Fidel Castro
committed the mistake of aiming at a target
that brought into action the meet notable
characteristic of the North American people,
generosity. * * * This has always been the
error of the Communists, they work on num-
bers and figures, and forget that there are
only human beings."
Diairfo de Costa-Rica, San Jose: "We can-
not ignore the unheard-of and inhuman pro-
posal to exchange prisoners for tractors,
which shows Fidel to be a monster without
God or law for whom human dignity and
human rights are worth no more than a
cipher." (He) "is possessed by devils, a
Marxist, an atheist, and inhuman."
CHILE
The Committee of Human Soliditrity, com
posed of Chilean women, is seeking funds to
help the U.S. private effort.
El Diario Ilustrado, Santiago: '".rhe Cuban.
dictator, Fidel Castro, gave a fantastic, dem-
onstration this week of his totalitarian dis-
regard for the human person."
ECUADOR -
El Comercia, Quito, This newspaper pub-
lished a cartoon of Fidel Castro looking
through the window of a maternity ward
rubbing. his, hands and dreaming of more
tractors. - -
El Telegrafo, Guayaquil: "Even though
this is filthy blackmail, I believe the simoids
should be given the machines they want be-
cause it might be that tomorrow they would
want to trade Roa for a still.
"We must insure in every way that the
prisoners really regain their freedom. No
precaution is amiss with the bearded or
barbaric Red autocrat of America.
"The baseness of -the proposal made by
Fidel Castro-always faithful to his code of
extermination-will serve to enhance the
nobility of North American democracy, be
cause the people of the United States are
ready to collect the necessary funds to pur-
chase the 500 tractors."
EL SALVADOR
-A national committee called the Colon for
Liberty has been formed to urge each Salva-
dorian to contribute 1 colon (currency worth
about 40 cents U.S.) to the fund for tractors.
Commenting on this effort, the newspaper
La Prensa Grafica, of San Salvador, said: "In
this way we are calling upon all Salvadorian
lovers of liberty who still have faith in demo-
cratic principles to aid in liberating our
Cuban brothers who have been offered in
exchange for tractors, or, in other words,
human beings in exchange for springs, cog-
wheels, nuts and bolts."
La Prensa Grafica added: "The first im-
pression is to recall Hitler's asking for trucks
in exchange for the life of Jewish prisoners,
but even this case does not plumb the depths
of ignominy as does that of Castro, a rene-
gade Cuban, offering up for sale the lives of
other Cubans."
GUATEMALA
The Movimiento de Liberation National, a
political party, is leading fund-raising ac-
tivities in which other -groups including the
Association of Christian Mothers are
participating.
Diairfo de Centro America, Guatemala
City: "As Israel's prosecution against the
arch-genocide Adolf Eichnaann exposed the
crimes of Nazism to the world, the mon-
strous negotiation proposed by Dr. Castro
has chilled millions of freemen in all the
world. The blackest crimes and the most
despised evaluation of the human being has
again implanted itself, this time in the
hemisphere. * * +" "Castro has revived a
page of current human history that hu-
manity wishes to forget. His .vile imitation
of Eichman has ended forever the little
sympathy he still may, have had in Latin
America and Europe."
El Impartial, Guatemala City: "The totali-
tarian cynicism has exceeded all limits with
two facts that revolt the conscience of all
decent men: the first is the sordid valuation
of human life made by Castro in offering
to trade - the prisoners for tractors the
mockery is debasing to the Cuban people
and to the one who made it."
"
HONDURAS
A fund-raising drive has been organized in
Tegucigalpa by the Honduran Front for
Cuban Liberation. This campaign is being
led by Roberto Dominguez Agurcia, a one-
time Communist and former leader of the
pro-Castro Friends of`the Cuban Revolution,
who renounced both communism and Cas-
troism last January. In a message to the
U.S. committee, the Honduran group said:
"In the name of the Honduran Front for
Cuban Liberation we join you in the cam-
paign for funds to rescue the prisoners of
Fidel Castro. We consider continental
mobilization necessary to collect funds from
the people, thus interpreting the best cause
that humanity can defend." -
El Dia, Tegucigalpa: "It is deeply disap-
pointing that so grotesque a traffic in human
liberty should take place in a country of the
Americas. The freedom of the heroes who
braved all to save their country from oppres-
sion is worth more than that materialistic
equation of half a tractor for each of the
thousand fighters for democracy." After
commenting on U.S. aid. to the Soviet Union
during World War II,- it continues, "This
proves that the money of the so-called
'Yankee imperialism' is not always despi-
cable, and that, despite profound differences
between the Communist and democratic
doctrines, there is a greater feeling of hu-
mantarianism in the democracies for assist-
ing peoples without distinction, than that
which is sloganed by the Red governments
and is spread merely for propaganda."
MEXICO
An organization of small Mexican farmers
has proposed (with tongue in cheek.) that
Mexico send Cuba, in exchange for prisoners,
some 75 Russian and Czech tractors sold to
Mexico years ago which proved unusable be-
cause of lack of repair parts and inaccessi-
bility of the mechanism.
The newspaper Excelsior of Mexico City
published a cartoon showing Castro holding
a fettered prisoner on the auction block say-
ing "And for this one, 10 plows, 2 televisibn
sets, and 1 sewing machine." Cartoons of
a similar vein were published in other news-
papers.
Excelsior, Mexico City: "For Castro Ruz
a human being has no more value than some
(material) thing including something that
has little value."
NICARAGUA
La Prensa, Managua: It' is- awful to know
that in this America of ours, so far removed
in time and space from the Saracen coast,
first to emancipate the slaves and first to
claim all the freedoms, slavery has now es-
tablished itself at a level much more ma-
terialistic and commercial than that known
by the Babylonians, Assyrians, Phoenicians,
Greeks, or Romans."
PANAMA
The newspaper El Dia has organized a com-
mittee to raise funds "for reasons of dignity
and human solidarity." Represented on the
committee are El Dia, a member of the
Panamanian Red Cross, the president of the
Union of University Students, and a delegate
of the University Students Federation of
Cuba in Exile. - -
In an editorial on May 25, El Dia said:
"No one, unless he lives in an embittered
emotional state will have failed to see that
Fidel Castro, under pressure of internal and
external events, and especially because of
the infiltration of the Communist Party
into his governmental machinery, has de-
parted more and more from his original
humanist theme to fall into a dehumanizing
and degrading materialistic conception of
life. For it is absurd to maintain as a
general principle the complete denial of a
humanistic Marxism. Therefore, the Cuban
leader, having been put into a frame of mind
in which the political adversary has become
an "inimious," can easily and unblushingly
maintain before the world that, in the mid-
dle of the 20th century, it can be held pub-
licly and without any moral- qualms that
the pretty business of exchanging prisoners
of war for tractors can be carried out.
How is it possible that he can have con-
sidered it fair to exchange men for things,
putting the former on an equal plane with
the latter? It must be that his mind, cloud-
ed by the deplorable events taking place on
the island, has retrogressed through the his-
tory of humanity to that primitive era when
a prisoner of war lost his legal and, so to
speak, human personality and became a
slave, a mere chattel that could be ne-
gotiated. The political enemy, just as the
prisoner of war who has acted under inter-
national rules, deserves to be judged with
fairness and without that passion which
clouds and fulls.
El Pais, Panama City: "No one with a par-
ticle of respect for his own nationality could
think of selling his countrymen for tools.
It is paradoxical that the aggressors should
be the ones to collect funds with which to
save the lives of the Cuban citizens who are
persecuted in their own country."
PARAGUAY
El Pals, Asuncl6n: The prisoners for trac-
tors offer is a "violation of all Christian prin-
ciples and of all laws in the world. * * *
Now, without a blush (the Communists) de-
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1961 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD - SENATE
mand tractors for prisoners. As in 'colonial
times, the sale of slaves is newly resumed
in the Pearl of the Antilles."
PERU
A group of secondary school students in
Arequipa headed by Dante Edmundo Zegarra
Lopez, 16 years old, has organized a drive for
funds to send to the U.S. committee headed
by Eleanor Roosevelt, Walter Reuther, and
Milton Eisenhower.
Ultima Hora, Lima: "The boastful and
spectacular Fidel Castro wants to fool the
world by maintaining that the exchange
of prisoners for tractors is visible proof of
the human feelings of the Beardocracy. It is
nothing more than political blackmail.
Castro is exploiting the well-founded fear
that the fighters who have fallen into his
hands will be stood against the wall."
La Cronica, Lima: This newspaper on May
26 published a report that the Frente Revo-
lucionario Democratico Cubano (Cuban Rev-
olutionary Democratic Front) plans a public
collection of funds on June 3. It added
editorially: "The generosity and democratic
feeling of the Peruvian people could not be
missing from this humanitarian movement
that is acquiring world proportions. How-
ever monstrous is the operation of ex-
changing men for tractors, facing facts, no
one can refuse to lend his assistance to this
base commerce, dictatorial and repugnant,
that annuls all concepts of the dignity of
man."
La Prensa, Lima, published a cartoon de-
picting Castro trading in human bones over
the caption "Businessman of the Carib
bean. "
URUGUAY
A committee called "Friends of Free and
Democratic Cuba'' headed by Dr. Raymundo
Abella has launched a nationwide campaign
to raise funds for tractors. At the same
time, eight Montevideo newspapers pub-
fished a plea to all citizens to join in fund-
raising efforts. A tractor of the type desired
by the Prime Minister of Cuba has been
placed in the centrally located Plaza Liber-
tad (park) as a symbol.
El Bien Publico, La Manana, and El Pais,
of Montevideo, all compared the Castro offer
to the Eichmann exchange. of Jews for
trucks.
El Plata, Montevideo: "Fidel Castro, ex-
torting blackmail with his policy of execu-
tions and torture, as Hitler intended with
the assassination of Jews, offers to free
prisoners in exchange for tractors that,
surely, he is badly lacking.
"One thing ought to be made clear. The
regime of Fidel Castro has reached a degree
of degradation and brutality repugnant to
the men of the Americas. And because at
the base of this brutality is a total scorn
for all moral feeling for life, where neither
human beings or means of action count, this
regime has become a great danger, which
everyone can recognize."
La Patria, Montevideo: "Castro has shown
himself clearly as a trafficker In the torn
flesh of his own compatriots."
VENEZUELA
Distinguished Caracas women have
formed a "Tractors for Ransom Committee"
to raise funds for three tractors. Other
Venezuelan, social and philanthropic organi-
zations have joined in the drive. Advertise-
ments opening the fund campaign showed
a Cuban mother weeping and imploring:
"Help me * * *. The life of my son depends
on you. The government of Fidel Castro has
asked for 500 tractors to return him to me,
and:I,have only my life to give him."
Rafael Caldera, President of the Venezue-
lan Chamber of Deputies and leader of the
Social Christian Party (COPEI), stated in
Punto Fijo (Venezuela) that- "for men of
democratic convictions the life of a human
being must be more important than all the
machines in the world."
El Mundo, Caracas: "With this offer to
trade men for trucks in addition to the policy
of the firing squad, Fidel Castro has en-
throned antlhumanism in America."
El Mundo columnist Mariano Arcaya said:
"This IS the limit, we start out financing an
invasion to overthrow Fidel Castro and end
up by cooperating with Cuban Agrarian Re-
form." He says: "Castro has taken off his
'ruler' mask and shown his 'gangster' face.
His apprenticeship in the underworld of
Mexico, and Colombia has served him well
for he is fully informed in the ransom busi-
ness, money or chattel for human lives.
? * Castro's blackmail has no parallel in
history unless there is some unknown event
in the - life of Attila and others like him.
Certainly there has been nothing like it in
the modern world, and we hope that it will
never happen again."
Panorama, Maracaibo: "Castro does not
seem pleased to be reminded that he haid a
pretty savage predecessor in Eichmann,
murderer of Jews who exchanged prisoners
for material goods." * * a "This step by Cas-
tro recalls the era of the Barbarians who
seemed by now to have disappeared from the
face of the earth, since the kidnaping of peo-
ple for ransom is a crime punishable in many
countries by the death penalty."
CASTRO'S BARTER PROPOSAL
(SUPPLEMENT 1)
ARGENTINA
rt
t Civic
d
~ ..
.~
en
The Indepen
has released the following Statement: "In The Anti-Communist Front of the city
view of the contempt shown by the Govern- of Ambato, which was formed on May 26,
ment of the Cuban Socialist People's Re- began that day a campaign to collect funds
public [sic] for the dignity of the human for "Tractors for Freedom" of the Cuban in-
person, which it has dared give a material vasion prisoners. The campaign will be ex-
value (corresponding to one-half of a trac- tended to the entire country.
tor), the Independent Civic Party feels that EL SALVADOR
it is a question of basic human fellowship Committees called Cruzada de Colon are
to reiterate its - complete repudiation of said being set up in provincial cities to collect
regime. * ? " Expresses its fervent hope funds for tractors. -
that the governments of America will, at GUATEMALA
least in these tragic circumstances for our In addition to the Movimiento de Liber-
take and all humanity, defend and the
takeke a position of clear and open opposition aci6n Nacional (MLN-a political party),
to the tyranny imposed upon Cuba and sus- following groups are participating in the
tained publicly and -offensively by Sino- "Tractors for Freedom" fund-raising drive
Soviet imperialism." and parade on May 29: the association of
La Prensa, La Naci6n, Correa, de la Tarde, Christian Mothers, the Women's Civic
and Critica of Buenos Aires and La Capital Union, the National Federation for Defense
of Rosario have unequivocally repudiated the Against Communism, and the Propaganda
proposed prisoners for tractors deal. Correo Committee of the Cuban Revolutionary Dem-
de la Tarde, which announced its contribu- ocratic Front. The Association of Christian
tion to a fund, was the most vehement de- Mothers organized a mass for the children of
nouncer of the Cuban offer, six Catholic parochial schools on Friday,
BRAZIL May 26, to inaugurate the fund drive. The
MLN is sending party workers to other cities
A motion was introduced in the Sao Paulo to solicit funds.
Municipal Chamber on May 26 asking for Two hundred employees of the Esso Stand-
funds to be set aside for the city of Sao and Oil Co. in Guatemala volunteered one
Paulo to buy a tractor. quetzal ($1) each for the tractor drive.
0 Jornal, Rio de Janeiro, on May 25, said MEXICO
that while it felt it was better to hand over Two Cuban exile groups, the Association of
tractors to save 1,200 Cubans from "going to Merchants, Industrialists, and Professional
the wall" (al pared6n), the terrible aspect of Men of Cuba and the Cuban Revolutionary
exchanging men for machines should never Democratic Front, have initiated fundraising
be forgotten, compaigns for the purchase of tractors. The
Jornal do Brasil, Rio de Janeiro, on May 25, press has reported that a Mexican group is
editorially criticized Kennedy's asking citi- also being formed.
zens to support the bargain. While credit- Excelsior, Mexico City, in the Bernardo
ing Mrs. Roosevelt with human compassion, Ponce column of May 23: "In the United
the paper said it could not support such a States several persons are giving money to
cold-blooded plan. buy the 500 tractors wanted by Castro Ruz
Diario de Noticias, Rio de Janeiro, of May to ransom 1,000 Cuban prisoners he took
26, while commenting that tractors - could during the ill-fated invasion of the Antilles'
play an important role in the structure of largest island. We have returned to the
the Cuban economy, said the appalling thing times of the pirates of the Barbary Coast.
about the proposal was that with the Social- * ? * The new masters of Cuba-the locals,
ist regime of Fidel Castro was established a not the Russian and Chinese 'technicians'-
table of prices for one Cuban life. must be very nervous about the possibility
Correio da Manha, Rio de Janeiro, on May of a meeting between Kennedy and Khru-
26, carried an uncredited brief datelined shchev in the beautiful city of Vienna. The
Chicago which said "indifference and bore- Red dictator is quite capable of "selling"
dom were the reactions observed to Ken- Communist Cuba for a North American with-
nedy's request to citizens for private support drawal from a zone near the Russian fron-
of the tractor exchange plan." tier. It would not be the first time that
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8559'
Leftist Ultima Hors, Rio de Janeiro, on
May 26 used Miami, Chicago, and Washing-
ton stories critical of the Kennedy position.
O Dia, Rio de Janeiro, on May 26 promi-
mently headlined: "North American People
Receive Kennedy Exhortations With Indiffer-
ence."
On May 27 a picture of - Mayor Wagner
driving a freedom tractor was carried on the
front pages of three Rio de Janeiro morning
newspapers, including leftist Ultimo Hora,
which captioned it: "Tractors for 'the Wall.-,
CHILE
The Chilean Association of Nongovern-
mental Institutions for the United Nations
has affiliated with the Committee for Hu-
man Solidarity to raise funds for the trac-
tor-prisoner exchange, calling Castro's offer
"a reversal in the scale of human progress."
Prensa Latina (official Cuban news agency)
newscasts are playing up internal U.S. op-
position to the exchange.
COSTA RICA
The press on May 27 published a circular
of the Federation of University Students of
Costa Rica dated May 23 urging student -
federations everywhere to join the campaign
in favor of tractors for prisoners and request-
ing special efforts to free student prisoners
Alberto Muller and his brother.
ECUADOR
The president of the Quito 'Rotary Club
has proposed to the club's directorate the
 8560,
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such a deal has taken place., One might crime of traffic in human lives, but it raises
then be able to say: with the tractors you the possibility that our own people may suf-
measure you shall be measured.:' fer equal treatment ?:dme day."
El Popular, Mexico City, a Marxist news- El Pueblo, Arequipa, on May 23: "Putting
paper, in the Sadot Fabila column of May 23: aside the filthiness of the Castro proposal,
"The opportunity certainly is excellent for which causes disguest to all civilized hu-
individuals such as Ydigoras or Somozes, who manity, American citizens have accepted
oiamored loudly for the lives of the defeated the deal, undoubtedly because they believe
and. captured invaders. They, and a few a human being is worth more than any
other tyrants, can well divest themselves of amount of machinery." Later: "With this
a few dollars in order to buy tractors and new proof of Communist-Pidelism, which at
send them to the Pearl of the Antilles in times seems unbelievable, one can assume
exchange for the anti-patriotic Cubans who that every day the Cuban revolution will
were trained at Yankee military bases within count on fewer adherents, and on an in-
their countries. * * * The crie[; heard after creasing number dedicated to fight against
the invasion had failed had the-sole political it."
objective of portraying the Cuban govern- URUGUAY
ment as a sanguinary regime opposed to
human reason."
El Universal, Mexico City, in the Enrique
Castro Farfas column of May 23: "No one
should be surprised about this new blackmail
of the bearded tyrant of Cuba, for this :Ls the
same method applied in. the country and the
cities of the island during the 'liberating
revolution of the hero of . the Sierra,
Maestra.' "
La Prensa, Mexico City, of May 26, carried
a signed article entitled "Tractors for Blood,"
which said the tractor plem was not only
testimony to Castro's mental unbalance and
the low esteem communism places on human
life, but alsq to the moral bankruptcy of the
West. At the same time it pr?dsed private
U.S. donations for tractors as an unavoidable
duty when lives are at stake.
El Universal, Mexico City, in f. cartoon on
May 26, showed Castro as a masked bandit
holding up a Cuban prisor.;er and demanding
"a tractor.or your life."
Novedades, Mexico City, on May 26 car-
tooned a Cuban prisoner telling his bearded
guards, "I won't swap my freedom for less
than two yokes of oxen and 6 pcunds or hot
chiles."
-NICARAGUA
The Catholic Action Society of Montelimar
announced a fund collection for tractors.
Dr. Andres Largaespada, director of the Man-
agua Cotton Cooperative, offered a used trac-
tor. Radio Noticias, owner Humberto Torres
Molina, offered a tractor for Chester Lacayo,
a Nicaraguan being held prisoner in Cuba.
La Noticfa, Managua, pbanting out that
Castro had equated the lives of Cuban pa-
triots with the value of tractors, said "history
will guard in its pages these offenses against
humanity."
La Prensa, Grafica, Managua, commented:
"Never before in America has one faced such
a situation in which human We could be
bought for machinery."
PERU
The Cuban Revolutionary Democratic
Front's Lima branch is planning: to make a
public collection for tractors on June 3. The
Comisi6n Magisterial Cubans in e:tile has also
called for donations.
La Cronica, Lima, reported, on May 26 that
US$1,333 have been collected thus far toward
the purchase of tractors and that a public
collection would be taken. up in Lima on
Saturday, June 3.
La Cronica, Lima, in an editorial on May
26: "No matter how monstrous the opera-
tion of exchanging men for tractors may be,
in view of our impotence to alter the facts
no one can refuse to lend his support to
this shameful dictatorial and revclting 'busi-
ness deal,' which eliminates any concept of
the dignity of man, heaps scorn on its origi-
On May 24 and 25, eight leading Monte-
video newspaper editors appealed for a pub-
lic fund-raising campaign (El Bien Pfibllco,
Tribuna, La Mafiana, El Debate, El Diario
Espafiol, El Diario, El Plata, and El Pais).
On May 25 the Friends of Cuba organiza-
tion placed a tractor in a Montevideo down-
town plaza in another fundraising effort.
El Dia, Montevideo; of May 25: "So much
human wretchedness cannot endure for long.
Impelled by their unconquerable and
eternal ideals, nourished by the reason and
justice of its high purpose, the forces of de-
mocracy will again. cause freedom, be-
smirched and trampled by the new barbari-
ans eager to enslave humanity in the em-
pire of crime, to flower."
VENEZUELA
El Mundo, Caracas, on May 26, reported
that the police had taken protective meas-
ures in view of Communist and extremist
threats against members of the "Tractors
for Ransom Committee." On May 25 the
committee sent Mr. Eleanor Roosevelt the
sum of $10,875, the product of its initial
collection.
La Esfera; Caracas, May 26. Columnist
Martinez Suarez commented: "On the whole',
this despicable trick of the Cuban dictator-
ship has had the virtue of stimulating
throughout the free world, and especially in
Latin America, an extraordinary movement
of fellow feeling for the people of the island
in application of the principle of respect for
human life."
La Religion, Caracas, May 26. Columnist
Pepe Travieso: "This: exchange of human
lives for tractors is so touch the stuff of anec-
dotes, so picturesque in its innate cruelty
and inhumanity, that it must serve as a per-
manent lesson in the true nature of those
regimes founded on international commu-
nism. How can Fidel Castro and his fol-
lowers invoke the principle of respect for
human rights after sinking to the depths of
bartering prisoners for tractors, which is the
greatest blow ever struck in modern times
against international law and the intrinsic
worth of the individual?"
La Esfera, Caracas, May 26. Columnist
Fernando Marquez Cairos: "The very fact
that a group of prisoners was charged with
negotiating the price of their own ransom
and that of their companions in misfortune
shows the contempt in which Fidel holds
human dignity."
The following are two half-page notices
appearing in Caracas newspapers:
In El Universal of May 26, signed by the
directors of the "Tractors for Ransom Com-
mittee":
nator, and leads the people of Peru to con- "His-proposal, which degrades human dig-
tribute to the rescue of the heroic patriots nity and takes us back to the remote era
imprisoned for their courageous struggle to of slavery and barbarity, is couched in terms
free their country, scourged by a tyrant and that could only be conceived on the basis of
delivered to the voracity of the Chinese and the coldest Communie;t materialism. This
Soviet Communists." materialism, which denies the existence of
El Deber, Arequipa, editorialized May 23: the soul, in fact, equates freedom and the
"The tolerance of the Americanpeoples (of rights of man with chattel, forwhich it may
a Communist Cuba) is suicide. Not only therefore be exchanged, But we cannot ac-
dbbs it permit the ignominious Communist cept this thesis and, in fact, we deny it on
principle. No, human lives cannot be bar-
tered. The human life has no price."
In La Esfera of May 26:
"TRADE IN HUMANS IN THE 20TH CENTURY
"The closest precedent that can be recalled
is that attempted by Eichmann, today on
trial for his crimes. The Nazi proposed to
exchange 1 million Jews for 10,000 trucks.
Today Eichmann is facing his judges. Fidel
Castro goes further and offers to exchange
his fellow countrymen for tractors. The day
will come when Cuba's 'Eichmann' Castro,
too, will have to answer for his crimes
against humanity."
WEST INDIES FEDERATION
Trinidad Guardian, Port of Spain,- on May
28 in an editorial entitled "Basic Evil of Com-
munism Revealed": "It would be the height
of folly to ignore the implications of this
deal. They are simply that Castro and his
henchmen, as puppets of Moscow and Pei-
ping, will stop at nothing to achieve their
ends of Communist domination of this hem-
isphere. This threat can only be countered
if those who have faith in the ideals of de-
mocracy cast off their lethargy and become
aware of the seriousness of the situation.
Castro's tractor deal will serve a useful pur-
pose if, by its overt denial of all moral sense,
it convinces people of the basic evil inherent
in communism."
ARGENTINA
The Argentine Association for the Freedom
of Culture has begun to collect funds to-
ward the purchase of the 600 tractors.
Among the persons making up the commit-
tee designated by the association to collect
the funds is the director of the Buenos Aires
evening daily Critica, Dr. Santiago Nudel-
man.
Clarin, Buenos Aires, commenting on May
28, said: "All America has arisen to 'buy'
a thousand lives, in an operation which has
the virtue of being honorable for the buyer
and infamous for the seller."
Mr. HUMPHREY. Mr. Murrow said,
in part:
Almost without exception the press and
radio of the free world have drawn the ob-
vious parallel between his proposal and that
of the Germans when they offered to trade
Jews for trucks.
It should rather have read "the
Nazis," when they tried to trade Jews
for trucks.
Castro revealed himself for what he is and
U.S. reaction reflected what we are. Most of
the free world found our response to the
offer to be in accord with our heritage and
tradition of regard for the individual. Cas-
tro has damaged the cause of communism.
His senior partners in Moscow and Peking
have not supported him.
There is a groundswell of disgust welling
up in Latin America. We have prepared for
you a summary of press reaction. From
both conservative and liberal newspapers,
from government figures, from committees
and voluntary groups, the comment is the
same. This has been accompanied by demr
onstrations for freedom by students, women,
legislators in favor of the United States.
Castro's offer has been called blackmail.
That is a handy word, but in civilized coun-
tries censure of the act should run to the
blackmailer, not to the blackmailed. As Dr.
Milton Eisenhower observed, a mother pay-
ing ransom to regain the life of a child is
not denounced because she deals with a
blackmailer. The calumny is on the head of
the man perpetrating the wrong, not on the
wronged.
Is it not interesting that in every coun-
try of the world-every free country-
the criticism is not of the United States,
but of Castro? Yet, here in our own
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19q- CONGRESSIONAL RECORD - SENATE
midst, we see Americans criticizing the' United States, to accept Castro's offer.
Government - of the United States, and He is correct in saying it is the tradition
the Committee. of America to help the distressed of oth-
That criticism has been properly er countries. We have given help again
placed by those in Latin American coun- and again to other peoples-even our
tries who are struggling this very hour wealth and resources to wartime ene-
for their freedom. By this cruel and mies, Germany and Japan.
Inhuman act, Castro has possibly done But the situation under discussion
more to help freedom in the Western
Hemisphere than all the aid programs
put together. He has revealed. what
really happens when dictatorship takes
over. Thank God-I say that in all rev-
erence-in America the voice was lifted
which said, "We want to help those in
distress. We are willing to help those
who want freedom." I think by that act
on the part of certain citizens we have
been,spared a severe judgment.
Now Mr. President, I wish to make a
proposal to our Government.
I propose, Mr. President, that the es-
sentially private effort of the Tractors for
Freedom Committee become the spring-
board from which we launch a tremen-
dous inter-American effort to seek the
release of all political prisoners in Cuba.
I propose that the U.S. Government,
as its expression of support for the Com-
mittee, take the leadership in the Organ-
ization of American States, to condemn
the mass arrests, imprisonments and
executions in Cuba, and to insist That
the Cuban regime release all of its politi-
cal prisoners.
Let us join our friends throughout the
Americas in this reaffirmation of human
freedom and dignity. Let us seize this
opportunity, when people everywhere
are gaining a new realization of the
depth of Castro's cynicism, to go one
step further. Let us take the moral
leadership against tyranny and despot-
Ism, and against the prisons and
dungeons that are such ugly reminders
of despotism on the loose.
Let us join our friends to place the
governments of these free peoples
squarely on the side of the restoration
of freedom for the people of Cuba.
Mr. COOPER. Mr. President, will the
Senator yield?
Mr. HUMPHREY. I yield.
Mr. COOPER. Earlier in the day I
made a short statement regarding the
exchange of tractors for the Cuban
prisoners. I am always moved by the
Senator from Minnesota when he speaks
of mercy and compassion, and religion,
because I know they are part of his be-
ing-of his very life. He is right in
saying that Castro has exposed his own
callous attitude toward human life, and
the callous attitude of his regime.
At the close of his remarks, the Sen-
ator from Minnesota made an interest-
ing and valuable proposition-one which
should be considered by our Govern-
ment. It is that the United States, and
all the American states, should urge
before the world, the release of the vast
number of prisoners held by Castro-
held without process of law-held be-
cause they dare dissent. He has pointed
out that Castro's cynical tractor-pris-
oner proposal calls attention to the
thousands of political prisoners held by
Castro.
I question one argument the Senator
froll~, Minnesota made, the argument
that there is legal precedent for the
tion in which a tyrant proposes the ex-
change of human beings for tractors. It
is an offer of prisoners for ransom.
I do not wish to be technical, but `I
doubt that our humanitarian record and
tradition of help to prisoners, and to the
unfortunate of other countries, is a legal
precedent upon which we can rely when
we are asked to ransom prisoners.
I support the proposal upon moral and
humanitarian grounds, but I do not know
they would attach in every case. I sup-
port the proposal because the United
States bears responsibility, because of its
support of the landings, which led to the
capture of the Cubans.
Mr. HUMPHREY. Yes. We have a
moral responsibility.
Mr. COOPER. I do not argue now the
merits of the decision to support the
landings. The decision was made, and
our responsibility in this case arises from
the decision. We helped to prepare the
Cuban forces, under the administration
of President Eisenhower. The prepara-
tions were continued under the admin-
istration of President Kennedy. These
same forces landed in Cuba. We know
that President Kennedy had to make the
decision which permitted the troops to
go to Cuba. Because of these facts, I
consider the United States bears respon-
sibility, and has no other proper course
except to do all possible to secure the
release of the prisoners.
If these men were our own citizens
we could secure their release by force if
we desired to do so. But we know that
our forces will not be used to liberate the
captured Cubans.
There is no other way at present to
secure the release of those we helped
send to Cuba, except through the ex-
change. This being true, the moral and
humanitarian considerations of which
the Senator from Minnesota spoke so
movingly, attach in the greatest degree.
Because responsibility does attach, I
see no reason for the President-if he is
doing so-to support only as a private
citizen the exchange. The President
cannot escape being the President of the
United States. He acts as the President
in regard to matters which are of con-
cern to the foreign policy of the United
States. I think he should say, "As the
President of the United States, I sup-
port the exchange." It is his responsi-
bility, and it should be clear that the
President, and not a private committee,
guides the foreign policy of the United
States.
I have great respect for the members
of the committee, and for the humani-
tarian considerations which led them to
undertake the project, but the transac-
tion is essentially one within the scope
of the conduct of the foreign policy of the
United States.
Mr. LONG of Louisiana. Mr. Presi-
dent, will the Senator yield?
8561
Mr. HUMPHREY. Let me respond for
a moment to the Senator from Kentucky,
and then I shall yield.
I thank the Senator from Kentucky
for his earlier statement, which was an
excellent one, logical and precise. The
Senator has underscored, very properly,
our responsibility in this matter.
On the date of May 24 I made some
comments in the Senate concerning this
very matter. I read to my colleagues the
following:
Let me say to the eternal credit of the
President of the United States that he feels
a moral obligation. It is a fact that this
Government did train those people. We
know it. The American people will be re-
spected all the more in the world if we act
responsibly, out of a sense of humanity, in
this unhappy matter. I suggest to my col-
leagues that during the past week we have
seen pictures on the front pages of American
newspapers of another freedom fighter, a
young man with a battered and bloody face,
the victim of brutality, vulgarity, violence,
and disorder. It might not be a bad news
story to go out throughout the world that
the citizenry. of this country was sufficiently
concerned with human life to put forth
private contributions and private efforts,
with the endorsement and moral support of
the President of the United States, in an
attempt to save these men in Cuba. I do
not want on my hands the fact that I failed
to do what I could have done when the op-
portunity was given.
I wish to underscore this more pre-
cisely. We do have a moral responsi-
bility. I believe the Senator is correct
in stating that the President of the
United States does speak as a public
citizen and not as a private citizen at all
times. The reference to his private ca-
pacity was not made by the President,
but by one of the press secretaries at
the White House, Mr. Hatcher, who is.
quoted as follows in the UPI dispatch
on the ticker:
Hatcher said Kennedy's connection with
the arrangement was as a private citizen.
The President may make a personal
contribution from his personal bank ac-
count to a committee, but I would be
the last to say a man who is President
can be a private citizen.
I think the Senator from Kentucky is
correct. I thank the Senator for his
contribution to the discussion and, more
importantly, for the fact that he has
spoken up. Few men in America are
held in greater respect and esteem than
the Senator from Kentucky. I am one
who holds him in the highest of esteem,
and he knows it.
Mr. LONG of Louisiana. Mr. Presi-
dent, will the Senator yield?
Mr.. HUMPHREY. I yield to the Sen-
ator from Louisiana.
Mr. LONG of Louisiana. I should like
to discuss the Castro-tractor deal on a
somewhat different basis later today.
I was; impressed by the Senator's
statement that he would like to use this
incident as a precedent to start a world-
wide program. If we are going to pay
$30,000 in first-class equipment for every
prisoner released, does the Senator have
some estimate as to how many prisoners
the Russian and Chinese Communists
are holding?
Mr. HUMPHREY. The Senator mis-
understood my remarks. I said that the
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 8562
private efforts of this committee should
serve as a springboard to take up, in the
Organization of Americep States, a. pro-
posal, first of all, to condemn Castro and
his executions, his mass arrests, and im-
prisonment of fellow Cuban,;._
Second, I said we should call upon the
Cuban regime. through the Organization
R- Y? s..ne of our own n
No, I am not at all proposing what the "
our national p li@y.
Senator suggests. Of course we would As we
not enter into such an arrangement. pause imorrow at the graves
-I think, with respect to these 1,200 'of those who ha Ofalien in the fight for
men, there is a difference. I things the +freedom, let us ast:.ourselves: How are
Senator from Kentucky has stated it. we measuring up tc~ ,e demands of pa-
We have a moral responsibi:iity because triotism?
of our activities, both those of the pre- What are we giving ~to the cause of
vious administration and those of the freedom?
present administration- with regard to I What are we prepare \to sacrifice in
To contemplate a mass exchange of
goods for - people throughout the world
would on its face be inoperative.
I think the represen.tativc press, the
legislators, the public officials, the stu-
dents, and the spiritual leaders of
country after country in Latin America,
have responded overwhelmingly to this
incident. I have available a, copy of a society and civilization of the past,
USIA survey of some of the press ciiff
,rss o arms, or o internal politics,
radio, and television reports from Latin of commerce, or of- will, a point fr
America including statements of gov
,-
ernment leaders. There is an over-
whelming condemnation of Castro. I
'say that this is the time for the Govern-
ment of the United States to work with
'the Organization of American States to
One can say, "What good will that
do?" At least it will put the Organiza-
tion of American States on the side of
morality and decency, and it will give us
a common ground upon which we can
work together. We have had some diffi-
culties in recent months, as we know,
in finding areas of common agreement
with our Latin American neighbors.
Mr. LONG of Louisiiana. Can I be
assured that the Senator wi:il not sup-
port a Federal appropriation to pur-
chase the release of prisoners in Cuba,
in Russia, in China, or anywhere else?
Mr. HUMPHREY. I say to the Sen-
ator that the Senator from Minnesota is
proposing no Federal appropriation. In
fact, the Senator from Minnesota would
have preferred that this be handled very
privately, even to the po:int of seeing if
we could do it without any special con-
sideration from the Treasury Depart-
ment. It may be necessary for the com-
mittee to have a tax-exempt status, so
that contributions can be tax deductible,
but I hope that in the beginning we
will try to see if we can undertake the
proposed transfer without it. I should
like to see the American people again
open up their hearts, as they do so fre-
quently and generously, -
y110V1LLL1G1L4 Vi td1UUaw11t;ta nilU UI1VU5aIO.S folding is the remote and pr n
of Cubans.
it are unlimited. ,`
The crisis we now/f
and respect A
powers in
muni
My,
fro:
May,
of this question.
THE CRISIS OF GEOGRAPHY;
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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD -_SENATE
DODD. Mr. President, tomorrow
the p ple-of America observe Memorial
Day, day on which we pay tribute to
defense f ur country, of all that it has
stood for, o all that it holds out for fu-
to Presi-
eased na-
In order to answer these questions let
us look at what is happening toda fin the
If students of history were `vise
enough and learned enough, they cplld
single out a particular unsolved crisis
Contemporary events are of a lyz rse
more difficult to -fathom and a e
than historical ones. Yet, I beliey that
the drama which may toll the death
knell for the United States and to West-
ualties can
is struggle
`s riding upon
can the confidence in
American leadership
n Asia. Recently I completed
the principal danger spots in
t of the world.
words today are _ based upon one
attempt to study this problem
afar and from close at hand and I
that my observations can contrib-
Geography is against us . critical
areas of southeast Asia. O, principal
instruments of national po `er cannot be
effectively used in key pla s. Our naval
and air strength which as successfully
shielded Taiwan and a offshore is-
lands, though they b in the shadow
of the vast Chines :ommunist main-
land, is ineffective n the kind of jungle
warfare taking e in Laos or South
Vietnam.
There are pw roads suitable for
mechanized $iies. Most of the attri-
butes of We rn industrial society with
which we familiar and in which we
can opera :'with confidence and skill are
absent To succeed we must not
only al the physical -aspect of our
farces, t also we must alter our mental
attitu ' s as well.
ine rably across southeast Asia. Laos
ha f almost been swallowed up. If Laos
g 0s, neighboring Cambodia will almost
Cambodia, will then be immediately im-
periled. If Thailand goes- down, noth-
ing can save Malaya and Singapore.
When Malaya has been subjugated, In-
5p shover.
'Yith communism thus, solidly en-
t ened in the Pacific all the way from
the Arctic Circle to Indonesia, the de-
fe a tlf Australia and New Zealand, even
wi Apglo-American naval assistance,
would. become hazardous and difficult
IneXitkbly the Philippines, South
Korea{ and Japan and Formosa will thus
be lost".ntl the whole Pacific will indeed
become Red ocean. ?
TIME CRISIS OF TACTICS
To thos1 Nations of Asia which yet-re-
main inde rodent, communism is no ab-
stract or df?fVnt menace. It is a grim
and ever pr nt danger, a daily com-
panion, a n1 tly visitor. Its instru- -
merits are t or and violence and
Communist gu rrilla bands range over
the countryside, mowing up bridges, at-
tacking army pos assassinating anti-
Communist mayor nd rural officials, as
well as soldiers, poll and peasants.
that despite the
successes scored agai\-m the Communist
Huk movement in a a sive effort last-
ing more than a decafie Huk guerrilla
bands are still active `,'n several Prov-
inces, and travel in the Provinces is
In Vietnam, I was tol at almost
1,000 -people are killed ev y onth by
terrorists and that it is uns fe to travel
the roads beyond 25 miles fo Saigon.
In Vientiane, the capital of aos, I
could observe myself that the maik Com-
munist forces were only 25 miles rom
the city, and that guerrilla bands fre-
quently penetrated to the very suburbs.
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C+~IRNcRE,SION4J..1t,ECORD - ~ENAx _ May 29
4311 . ti'7,C1, w=ted signs condemning Castro.
They appealed for money for tractors. Also
in Sao Paulo, a woman has offered her blood
to help the Cuban prisoners. In Bogota,
groups are going up to people in the street
and asking to "buy a life." In Santiago and
in Rio, Communist groups have actually
begun to form committees condemning the
committees formed to raise money for
tractors.
ASTRO, 'OLITICAL PRISONERS, T
AND TRACTORS
Mr. HUMPHREY. Mr. President, I
shall not yield to any Senator during the
statement I am about to make. At the
conclusion of my remarks, I shall be
happy to yield for questions.
Mr. President, in the annals of con-
I temporary dictatorships, few incidents
have so shocked the world and few inci-
dents have so solidified public opinion
!against a dictator as has the Castro pro-
osal to exchange the lives of political
risoners for American tractors. The
utburst of editorial comment against
his cruel proposal is unprecedented in
erms of the condemnation of a chief of
tate.
While.some persons in America have
een content to wring their hands and
4ry "blackmail," others have moved with
purpose and direction to call the Cuban
,dictator's bluff and to save lives. In so
4oing, a new unity of purpose is being
forged among the free nations of the
'W'estern Hemisphere. No one act has
before so fully. crystallized the public
.opinion of the Western Hemisphere upon
a single issue as has the Cuban dicta-
tpr's incredible proposal to trade political
p isoners for tractors. Castro has made
a singular diplomatic blunder. In the
New York Times' compilation of the re-
action of the Latin American press, it
as stated as follows:
In Sao Paulo-
.Brazil-
the lpxgest_aatl-Communist demonstration
in h 'has "curred there. It consisted
mai y of st1lde tq-normally anti-Amer-
icaa,- a y of w64W ?prisongm' uu -4
Later in my comments, I shall place
in the RECORD a full review of Latin
American editorial and journalistic
comment on the Castro proposal.
Castro's cynical proposal-his playing
with human lives-has revealed a shock-
ing contempt for human life on the part
of the Cuban regime.
On the other hand, the bold and gen-
erous step taken by the founders of the
Tractors for Freedom Committee in the
United States and the outspoken sup-
port of our President have struck a deep
chord of liberal humanitarianism
throughout aff of free Latin America.
President Kennedy's popularity in Latin
America is at a new high, because he
has demonstrated again his great and.
deep concern for human life.
Castro's propaganda stunt has been
turned into a political disaster for the
Cuban regime. At a time when Castro's
propaganda seemed to be taking hold in
Latin America, one reckless statement
by the Cuban dictator gave us the op-
portunity to dramatize and highlight
the basic difference between a free so-
ciety and a dictatorship. We are not
talking here merely about abstract prin-
ciples. We are talking about human
beings, God's finest creations. There
are among us those who have charged
that America shows weakness because
we are willing to exchange tractors for
1200 freedom fighters. What an absurd-
ity! A great nation like the United
States demonstrates strength, not weak-
ness, when it takes action to save hu-
man lives.
Surely there is no one who feels that
Cuba under Castro or anyone else is a
military threat to the United States,
35 times its population, and in-
finitely stronger by any measurement.
That is ridiculous upon its face. Fur-
thermore, as I said last week in the Sen-
ate, the American people know that if
it were merely tractors that Castro
wanted, and if tractors would be ad-
mitted as a threat to American security,
the tractors are available from the So-
viet Union, from Czechoslovakia, or from
other places. No, Mr. President; Castro
was trying to play international politics.
He was engaging in international propa-
ganda, and it has slapped him in his
face.
Our Judaeo-Christian tradition, our
whole democratic philosophy, calls upon
us to save lives. Indeed, the central
principle of freedom is that God created
man is His own image, and that no man
who may be saved is to be abandoned.
We build hospitals, we emphasize the
relief of suffering, and we are proud of
these works. Compassion "is a virtue-
not an evil.
Compassion is strength, not weakness.
I am dismayed and shocked when I see
some Americans become so swollen with
,pride r,press of `national
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