FULBRIGHT CALLS FOR CURBS ON CASTRO'S THREAT TO LATINS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00149R000200920151-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: November 11, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 5, 1999
• Sequence Number: 151
• Publication Date: April 1, 1964
• Content Type: NSPR

STATINTL
Sanitized - Approved For Release : CIA-R
\xr ASI:..',NGTON STATt
APR 11964
ri ~t Calls for Cures
n Cstr~'s Threat to Lai
By?WILLIAM R. MacKAYE
star special writer
Senator Fulbright, Democrat
of Arkansas, today suggested
that actions taken unilaterally
by the United States to oppose
the regime of Cuban Premier
Fidel Castro are largely point-
less.
In an interview expanding on
his extensive foreign policy
Mr. MacKaye is with the Washington
Bureau of the Houston Chronicle.
speech of last week, the Arkan-
sas Democrat stressed that he
Anne consider the Castro regime
Latin America. SENATOR FULBRIGHT
Consequently, he noted, it is -AP Photo
of particular urgency that Unit-
ed States moves to counter the sharp variance with the John-
concert with the nations
ened.
Support S.tressgd
as wel
,,it is very important
of
proceed to have the support
the Latin American countries
'themselves," he said.
The Senator indicated that his
opinion that single-handed anti-
Castro is secure in office indef-
initely. "There is hope, ' he de-
construed as a belief that Mr.
Castro, is 'secure in office. inde-
finitely: "There, is hope," he
declared, "that the regime may
.change (its policies) or that
Castro's own people will rise up
and throw him out."
In Senator Fulbright's discus-
sion of his views, which focused
primarily on Latin America,
,only one. point emerged in
which the. Senator appeared at
Sanitized - Approved For Release : CIA-RDP75-00149R000200920151-5
This was on the proper han-
dling of the crisis with the
Republic of Panama. over the
status of the Panama Cabal.
A administration official
contended last week that the
impasse* which has developed
over whether the United States
should now "discuss" or "nego-
tiate" revisions of the Panama
Canal treaty of 1903 is 'probably
in the best interests of the
United States.
Said Senator Fulbright' of the
situation :
maker, which is frequently
cited as.the United States' rea-
son for not increasing the
"rent" paid annually to Pan-
ama for use of the Canal Zone,
is artificially induced.
Shipping Costs Rise
Since 1914, he reported; ship-
ping costs from eastern United
States ports to the west coast
have gone up 200 to 300 per
cent. But Canal transit fees
have actually been reduced, he
said.
The United States Govern-
ment is in fact `subsidizing the
transit .fees at the behest of
shippers, Senator Fulbright
charged. He'described the ship-
pers as "one of the most power=
.1
ful lobbies in Washington."
Senator Fulbright also. criti-I
cized excessive salary scales in
the Canal Zone, which he said
permit Zonians to enjoy a per,
capita income twice that of the
United States and ten times that
of Panama.
Senator Fulbright,,., displayed
little sympathy with the. pre-
scription of "greater firmness"
which others have proposed for
United States ? dealings with
Laten America.
Great Deal of Tact'
"We can't be firm without a
great deal of . tact," he com-
mented.
Citing Mexico, he said:
"If we were to put in sanc-
tions against Mexico for trading
with Cuba, the Mexicans would
just say 'the hell with you.'
"The Mexicans do not agree
with our policy, toward Cuba.
This is not because they are
sympathetic.. to ? communism.
They just don't think our policy
is wise.".
Senator Fulbright appeared a
bit startled by ' the interest
which his speech has stirred in
Washington and across the
country. He. said,it was planned
as one of the reviews of policy
trends which he has for some
time delivered every six months
or so.,
"This ' one just caught' more
attention than most," he ob-
STATINTL
Encouraged
The Senator said his major
,purpose in making the speech
was to encourage greater public
discussion of the foundations of
American foreign policy. He
added that this . development
seems to be under way.
He also expressed a hope that
the discussion would center on
the issues rather than on at-
taching unflattering names to
those who espoused unfamiliar
or unpopular ideas.
He said he attached more
importance to the nurturing of
this discussion than to the dis-
semination of his own ideas.
"I hope my views were ex-
pressed with modesty," he
noted, adding that one makesl
proposals modestly he can blush
less ' highly when . his ideas
change. .
"In Panama we run the risk
of appearing a great bully."
He added, "We won't and
shouldn't tolerate a. unilateral
breaking of the treaty. But
there's plenty of elbow room to
male adjustments." '
The Senator observed that the
Canal's failure to be a. money-
served mildly.