CASTRO'S BULLDOZER OFFER COULD PROVE TO BE HIS UNDOING

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP67-00318R000100790007-5
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 23, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 29, 2013
• Sequence Number: 7
• Publication Date: May 18, 1961
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

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Declassified and Approved For Release 2013/05Y2V:1CcIA:R"D"P67-00318R000100790007-5
ALAMEDA, CALIF.
TIMES-STAR
? EVENING 9,030
MAY '14 NI
reastro's Bulldozess\
Offer Could Prove
To Be His Undoing
?
Has Castro been persuaded to hire a crack
public relations man?
That certainly seems a highly logical possibility
in his offer to exchange some 1.000 prisoners, taken
in the abortive U. S.-sponsored, attempt to over-
throw him, for 500 bulldozetts:. For though the
proposal seems a v.r.ild one to spine, it is actually
extremly smart.
Throughout Latin America the United States is
thought of as A highly ? dollar-conscious country.
Our public image is that of a people who think
primarily in terms of money, putting a dollar value
on everything, including human life.
Because of the blundering stupidity with which
the Cuban invasion was condtkiled,,, due to the
bumble-headed. if not almO'srTikasonably con-
ducted workings of the CentraIrtitaigence Agency
4?ft is now universally knovirt-thit none of the
1,000 prisoners would be ill ,thgjkands of Castro
except for the actions of the United States.
In brief, the United States is re?piinsible for their
being in captivity just as much so.,as.if they were
really members of our armed forces.
Therefore, thanks to this offeval?Y Castro, our
country is put on the horns of a'd'il*ma in the eyes
of Latin America and the world.
The dilemma is: ire iye; a peqie Who evaluate
everything in terms of cIdllars,igrelinc(to evaluate
the lives of 1..000 men and find Aern worth 500
bulldozers?
If we dec44 tha,Nme shall note take. advantage
of the offer &re tittil.000 this' price, then the
public image from, jJi,chwc now suffer in all Latin
America?that of'tri 11 'American-'will be con-
firmed.
"Look at tfie Aril'elt?Rit,'' they will say. "If they
don't consider that tFrafre--o-f a man who risked his
own life for the United States is worth half a bull-
dozer. what price would they put on the life of
one of their ordinary people? Would they consider
him worth maybe the pricg of a secondhand car.
or $10, or a dime? Or would it be merely nothing?"
On the other hand, if we do decide to accept
the offer and free the 1.000 at the rate of two men
for one bulldozer, what will happen then?
. - - -
The answer lies in how we do it. Castro, or
course, is convinced that we will not accept the
offer, and that if we do, we will handle the matter
with the same degree of intelligence that charac-
terized the invasion. Quite possibly he is correct.
However, if we were to handle it along different
lines, the results would be radically different and
extremely embarrassing to the bearded butcher who
thinks that Khrushchev is the greatest thing that
happened since Stalin.
What we should.do is.accept the offer and pre-
pare the bulldozers imitediatelv. Each bulldozer
and all its major -par,ts, should have stamped into
the metal, in iSpanicfli,?ethat it was a gift from the
, American people to the Cuban people. given for the
purpose of saving lives.:And notjust ',thc lives of
the 1..000, but also?the,Jives of countless.crthers who
would he greatly benefited if the bulldozers were
used in works of pre'aa: ? . .
That done. the bulldozers should he loaded onto
a ship along with plevy of food-and .the other es-
sentials for a ?r6meittlibus partysto he staged at the
unloading. in Harorw
Fro0 thetNe .hip sails, and well before
for that matter tlieliesshould be coristant radio and
TV broadcastsAn Oanish telling the Cubans about
how happy, we%re to do this?that we actually
think the 04&6 eltkap. ?
e("M
"Certainly Iihink the lives of two Cubans are
worth ofiri
Mtpte'i..- we should say. "In fact,
we think them woitfh iinich more. Castro could just
ri:s:--"cirteld- us up for five times that
amount. And w uld have willingly paid.
"But whirt,does Castro_ set on your lives.
How much ha e er expended for a Cuban life,
beyond the pe of the bullets used for those sent
to the w
Since'
-
1,1bSilS, and other Latin Americans are
really a brilliant people, with especial reference to
politics andestioppreciation of political maneuver,
-.uch a gifinbitPtyktihat?would have tremendous im-
pact.
The only'eitie-S4-,ho would not would be
those who did ?ila ddie--who found it impractical.
? For what is fulfiller than a man who is hoist by
his own petard?tacS.Castrbk.Would then be.
And what weapon is cleadliet&Pany dictator
anywhere than laughter? There is'ficitte.? It is a wea-
pon feared kir More' than cingger. ?bullet or any
bomb.
Declassified and Approved For Release 2013/05/29: CIA-RDP67-00318R000100790007-5