A CRITIQUE ON CUBA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP65B00383R000200230001-6
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 4, 2004
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: October 6, 1962
• Content Type: OPEN

Approved For Release 2004/06/23 :CIA-RDP65B00383R000200230001-6
196,2 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD -APPENDIX A7393
13-year-old girl with a tendency toward Kennedy's aides soon after the abortive in- 000 men, including militia, it has received
thinking all things tragic. vasion of the Bay of Pigs. since the failure of the invasion, over iR176
For those with a yen. to read something Since then the obstruction in the Press- million Sxi military aid and supplies from
besides the seamy side of life, the author dential gullet has become a large bone of Communist-bloc countries. Communist-
has come up with areal laugh-provoker, national and international contention. made jeeps, jets, tanks, radar, and electronic
neatly flavored with tongue-in-cheek nos- How did it get stuck there in the first equipment are almost daily arrivals in Cuban
talgia."-Asheville; N.C., Citizen-Times. place? .How big, how dangerous is it? Can harbors. According to State Department and
This is the most delightful novel this it be dislodged short of war? intelligence reports, 4,500 Russian soldiers,
sad old librarian has read in many a dreary The President naturally wants to keep sailors, and technicians are in Cuba helping
month. In fact, your reviewer burst out these awkward questions aut of -this fall's Castro. They are training new pilots, ground
into unseemly laughter, not once but several congressional elections. But the failure to crews and artillerymen.
times, at this warmly humorous tale, sup- ask them and to answer them honestly is Just last week Castro announced con-
posedly spun by a 13-year-old Ashton, Ga., fraught with danger to the Nation, atruction of a~ 12-million peso "fishing base"
girl. Castro began as a bone in the throat of on the Cuban coast for use by the Russians.
Even the more serious overtones of racial the Eisenhower administration 4 years ago.- Sites far guided missiles and rockets, and
views in the South are handles{ skillfully Two years later, candidate Kennedy did his bases for submarines and submarine detec-
and intelligently:'-The Library Journal. eloquent best to get Mr. Nixon to strangle tion are possible. Cuba will be capable of
'The Last of the Whitfields' is terrific."- on it. Picking the decline of American inflicting great damage on the U.S. naval
'I'he Pontiac, Mich., Press, safety and prestige as his theme, Kennedy installation at Guantanamo. And behind
` Her characteristically Southern vocabu- pointed to the rise of Castro. as prime evi- ? these beefed-up forces stands the military
Lary, her naive observations, and her quaint dente that "our security and our leadership might oP -the U.S.S.R., openly pledged to
style of phraseology as she- views the matter- are both slipping away," support them, with its atomic power if
of-fact, workaday world through teenage His Cuban policy was to "let the Cuban necessary.
eyes, combine to make this one of the fun- people know our determination that they Whatever the military capacity of Cuba
niest, warmest, and most enjoyable books to will some day again be free; ' to "let Castro when Mr. Kennedy took office, it is now vastly
cross my parietal desk in a coon's age, as know that we do not intend to be pushed greater.
Felicia would have phrased it."-The Bir- around any longer," to "let Mr. Khrushchev In his September 13 press conference, Mr.
mingliam News. know that we are permitting no a+p~ n~ ion of Kennedy indicated that his hopes of a peace-
One of the most recent Alabama novelists his foothold in our hemisphere and ful solution of the Castro problem lie par-
to make a public splash is Elise Sanguinetti especially to "end the harassment * + * of tially in the deterioration of the Cuban
of Anniston. Elise's new book, 'The Last liberty-loving anti-Castro forces in Cuba and political and economic situation. Dangling
of the Whitfields,' has received very savor- in other lands." the prospect of a convenient collapse before
able reviews. But that's to be expected- "Thus far," candidate Kennedy said, "these this Nation's eyes, he said, "Castro {is] In
she grew up in the newsroom of the daily fighters for freedom have had virtually no trouble * * * his own followers are be-
Annistoxx Star, recognized as one of the best support from our Government" And, "the ginning to see that their revolution has been
newspapers in the State; and published by way to put the ideals of the American Revo- betrayed."
her father."-Birmingham Post-Herald. lution into significance is to act on them, What are the chances of a successful re-
~ ~ not to talk about them " "H
A Critique o
HON. J. GLENN BEA~LL
OF MARYLAND -
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
Friday, October 5, 1962
Mr. BEALL. Mr. President, no patri-
otic American can help but be deeply
concerned over the menace festering just
90 miles off our shores in Cuba. To fully
understand this threat and to develop
plans to combat it; we must certainly
consider the many divergent views on
the Cuban situation.
With this in mind, I ask unanimous
consent to have printed in the Appen-
dix of today's R>;aoxD an article entitled
"A Critique on Cuba," which Was writ-
ten by Mrs... Clare Boothe Luce and
which appeared in the September 30,
1962 edition of the New York Herald
Tribune. Mrs. Luce is an acknowledged
expert on world affairs and her views
offer abundant food for thought.
There being. no objection, the article
was ordered to be printed in the RECOan,
as follows:
A CRITIQUE- ON (TUBA -
(By Clare Boothe Luce)
(NOTE.-Playwright, ex-Congresswoman,
ex-Ambassador, Clare Boothe Luce is surely
one of the most versatile women of the
times. She is also one of the most forth-
right in her opinions. Following is the first
of two articles in which she expresses her-
self on soviet Cuba and how it got that way.
Slie deals, in part, with the part played by
President Kennedy.)
"The President- feels that Cuba is a bone.
in his throat." So spoke one of President
said, "events may once again b inglua an Hislunpopulari'_y with ai~great sect on ofphis
opportunity to [act] on behalf oP the cause oppressed populace can no longer be ques-
oP freedom ixi Cuba." tfoned. The 1,200 captured 1n the disastrous
Hopefully, events did bring the newly Bay of Pfgs and the thousands of political
elected President this opportunity. In April prisoners now rotti
i
'
ng
n Castro
s jails cer-
1961, President Kennedy authorized the tainly hate his guts.
Cuban invasion. But at the last and late- But the unjailed remnants oP the Cuban
iul hour he ordered the withdrawal of de- underground no longer have the means or
cisive 'American air support, abandoning the will to challenge the ruthless authority
1,400 "liberty-loving, anti-Castro fighters for of Castro's Soviet-armed firing squads. Like
freedom" to Castro's tanks, jails, and firing the Hungarians before them, the Cuban
squads. His profile in courage suddenly people have learned the bitter lesson of re-
turned into a profile in indecision, sistance: that Soviet Russia will spring to
At his nationally televised press confer- the aid oP Soviet dictators wherever they
ence on September 13, 1962, President Ken- may be, but the United States will not al-
nedy had no-kind words for those who are ways go to the aid of men fighting for their
saying today, as he himself so often did dur- freedom.
ing the 1960 campaign, that the "bone" is Cuban radio and television a;e doing a
plenty big and- dangerous. "Rash talk is typically crack Communist job on Cuban
cheap," he said, "especially with those who youth. The rising generation- is being vig-
do not make the responsibility [for deci- orously indoctrinated with antidemocratic,
sion]. anti-American; and pro-Russian ideas. It
In 1960, addressing himself to the military is being taught to think of itself as the van-
aspeet of the Cuban situation, Senator Ken- guard oP the Communist liberation of our
nedy said, "I think Castro is a source of hemisphere.
maximum danger. * * * A Communist men- Those who know Communist political and
ace has been permitted to arise under our educational methods can .only smile sadly
very noses, only 90 miles from our shores.. at President Kennedy's present optimism
* * * [Castro's] transformation of Cuba into about a popular uprising. So long as Castro
a Communist base oP operations * * * by is supported by Soviet arms, the chances of
jetplane, missile, or submarine * * * is an an anti-Castro rebellion are virtually nil,
incredibly dangerous development." Thus, and native Cuban communism will continue
he warned, "the whole Western Hemisphere to burgeon.
security system Ss drastically threatened." Speaking during the campaign of 1960,
But 2 years later, at his press conference, Candidate Kennedy said that Castro and his
the President, referring again to Soviet ship- supporters "are not only a Soviet satellite,
ments to Cuba, said that these "do not con- but they are trying to spread their revolu-
stitute a' serious threat to any other part tion throughout South America." And he
of this hemisphere: ' He strongly denied that added, "time is running out in Latin Amer-
the Communist buildup is such as "to en- ica * * * although the cold war- will not be
danger or interfere with our security," or won in Latin America, it could very well be
that Cuba is an offensive military base of lost there."
significant capacity." Today, however, he assures the Nation that
In view of Candidate Kennedy's pro- "in the last year Castro's regime has been
found alarm about the military threat of increasingly isolated in this hemisphere. His
Cuba in 1960, what are the facts which name no longer inspires the same fear or
leave the President. so relatively calm today following in other Latin American coun-
about Castro's present military capacity? tries."
Today, Castro's Cuba, still only 90 miles off The bitter truth is that Cuba today is a Par
our shores, has the second strongest ground more effective base bP Communist activity
army in our hemisphere. Estimated at 400,- than it was 2 years ago. It is now a bustling,
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ONGRESSItJNAL RECORD -APPS
1473-~ C
well-organized jumping-off point Into all rte P1et~orm of the 1Vlidwest federation aE
neighboring countries for Spanish-speaking
~Colle a Ytaitn Re lablicant
spies, provocateurs, propagandists and secret L ~ P
mll[tary agents. (Many of them, according
to inteiitgenee sources. are operating among ~gj(}Iq QP` REMARK6
Cuban refugees and Puerto Rican citizens o>r
here in the United States.} Htin EyERETT NleKINLEY QIRKSEN
Radio Cuba broadcasts around the clock
to all the Latin American nations. R'heir of as,Ixous
underprivileged masses are told that their
f nd olitical freedom depends an Il+l TILE SENATE GF THE UNITED STATES
a
October 6
to enjoy a material prosperity consistent
with, and the result oi, a free society.
r.CONOMIC POLICY
America's commitments to the defense of
the free world require the maintenance of
s strong and viable economy, one which wlll
supply the demands of increased military
spending, respond to the complex adjust-
ments which confront our agrarian and ur-
ban sectors, and at the same time promote
the maxlmfsatlon of individual choices in
p
econom c
boating out all pro-American polStlcians, and F,.~[dy QCtpbgT 5, 1982 the market economy.
elevating afficlals who stand ready to join An economy fully responsive to the chang-
the dynamic ranks of Communist repubYlcs. jc2r, DIRKSE3I. Nir. President, I flSk ing demands of private individuals and pri-
whtch now, because of Castro. can truth- unariimolls consent to have printed lI1 vats initiative has proven to be the most
fully be said to girdle the globe. The United the Appendix Of the RECORD thf; plat- effective supplier of our human needs and
States, Radio Cuba claims, to lending billions Lorm Of the Midwest Federation Of COI- at the same t9me has enabled America to
of economic aid to its southern neighbors for le$e ,Y,oung Republicans adOpteti at Iri- become the greatest industrial nation in the
one reason only: fear of Khrushchev and world. It is the role of the Government to
Castro. American aid, it warns, will die an dianapolis, Ind., April 14, 29$2? promoting our economic development to pro-
the vine the dap Castro is defeated. Tilers being n0 Objection, the platform yids the conditions which will both en-
The argument is a powerful one. Prpb- Wgg Ordered to be printed ill the RECORD, courage and protect opportunities for free
ably all Latin American governments view as follows: individual choices 1n the market economy.
Castro and communism at least in part as a PLA'I.eoat.I og Txe MIDWZaT ggDEaATION or To the Government belongs the respon-
dollar-generating program. It would espiain Cottscs Yoaxa RSPVBtICANB pA3aED AT slb[litp for providing an equitable Legal
why even pro-American leaders are reluctant IIialATdAPOLI9, Ixa., Apart 14, 1982 framework for private competition within
to take action against him or against their pa$ArdBLa the market economy; for maintaining sound
own domestic Communists. monetary and fiscal policies so that our cur-
The rapidly growing forces of the Com- We, the members of the Midwest Fedora- rency will retain troth domestic and inter-
munist left elsewhere Sn LnLln America lion of College Young Republicans, believe national eonfldenee? and for safeguarding the
(especially in Haiti. Bolivia, the Dominican that the proper function of Federal Govern- valve of the dollar~fmm the debilitating ef-
Republlc, Mexico, Brazil, and Venezuela}, meet is to maxlmi9~e the freedom of the in- facts of an unbalanced budget.
and the rasa of new mftitarp dictatarahlps in divfdusi and to extend freedom around a
Argentina and Peru, are tragic proof that the world threatened by the forces of interns- thG oti tl gaGion to refdraln fromvany p ogram
influence of Castro has not been politicalig lions] communism.
isolated. Since the failure of the invasion, Inherent in the proper exeeutloa of these which would fix prices and wages; establish
there has been a massive outflow o7 private functions, me believe: That with the central- production quotas; impose confiscatory tax
Latin American capital into European coun- 1Qatioa of power to government comes an in- levies; or tend to become permanent sub-
tries. Today, South American entrepreneurs suitable abuse of power which threatens in- sidles.
who might otherwise tre SnvesLing in domestic dfvidual initiative and constitutional rovlde Midwest Federation oft Coilegel Youing Re-
enterprise are sending their capital to safety ilea; that government action should p
abroad, with a consequent weakening of the only s floor over economic disaster and net publican Clubs supports the following eco-
Latin American economy and a further drain a ceittng for personal endeavor; that our de- nomic platform.:
on the Alliance for Progress funds. termined objective in the cold war must be f l } Since the private sector of the economy
Time is running out in Latin America, and victory aver, rather than ecexisteace with, has always made a more productive use of
the cold war is still being coat there. the godless and enslaving forces of world money, and since the Federal Government
In his press conference the President ex- communism. now wmpetea with or excludes private enter-
pressed another hope far the eventual free- Acsscvl.TVae prise in nearly every sector of our economy
dom of Cuba: the economic collapse of Cuba, The American farmer has long been the with notorious examples in the Tennessee
''Monumental economic rrilarnanagement, heart of our expanding Nation, making it gsilep Authority and the Rural Electriflca-
aupplementod by our own refusal to trade the healthltwt, hest fed. best clothed lie- lion Adminiatration, and since these actlvi-
with [Castro]," Mr. Kennedy explained. has lion in the world. I6 la often argued that rtes are flnaneed by ail taxpayers for the
crumbled the Cuban economy. This seems the farmer new represents a vested interest benefit of a few, and since our increasing
to suggest the hope that the regime will col- in our society looking for a free ride at the defense needs must receive more attention,
Lapse of Sts own weight, and t