CUBANS TO REPLACE BRACEROS?

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP65B00383R000200240060-0
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 18, 2004
• Sequence Number: 60
• Publication Date: October 23, 1963
• Content Type: OPEN

Approved For Release 2004/06/23 : CIA-RDP65B00383R000200240060-0
A6694 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD - APPENDIX
October 28
Castro said. "If they kill the bracero pro- following day at the Columbus celebra- examine and make recommendations con-
gram, you are going to face double welfare tion held in that city. Dr. Re, the first cerning the proposed voyage.
costs." American of Italian origin to have been Although the committee that was selected
Castro, secretary-treasurer of Teamsters appointed Chairman of an independent applauded the plan, it rejected Columbus'
Local 768 in Hayward, said his national union plea for financial support. The committee
is the only labor group he knows that fa- Commission, only recently was reap- report cautioned that certain preliminary
vored an extension of the bracero program pointed by the President for an addi- Steps had to be taken before plunging into
which he described as the lesser of two evils. tional 3-year term as Chairman of the the unexplored horizons. The depths and
He said since he did not expect farm labor Foreign Claims Settlement Commission. temperatures of the oceans, the tides, the
wages to become competitive with the pay in Dr. Re's speech entitled "The Legacy weather, propulsion systems, the prevention
California industry, the harvest workers of Columbus and the American Heritage of scurvy and other diseases that afflict the
probably would be imported from other of Freedom," provides inspiration for all human body and spirit had to be studied,
States and could pose a serious problem for Americans. and presented problems that had to be re-
California. Mr. Speaker, I Commend Dr. Re's ad- solved before such a voyage could be under-
This is not a practical or fair answer, dress as a timely message for all Ameri- taken. Even the religious and political as-of the importation of Cubans would not help cans and, under leave to extend my re- sentatives ects vof project were discussed e
church and state te whwho also reper were
agriculture. The displaced Cubans are marks, I include it in the Appendix of on the committee.
not experienced . farmworkers. They the RECORD: A letter written by a member of the Genoa
would be soon disappointed and disillu- THE LEGACY OF COLUMDUS AND THE committee indicates that a member of that
sioned if they were sent to the farms for AMERICAN HERITAGE OF FREEDOM committee was in full sympathy with Colum-
2 or 3 months. Mr. Toastmaster, distinguished guests, my bus and thought that the project should
re-
Use of Cubans would not help the do- fellow Americans, on this festive occasion as have been supported. This member was re-ferred to as " mestic farm laborer. In fact, the Cuban patriotic Americans we have assembled to young mechanical a rather
engineer, and lately of lately of Fou-
worker would take jobs from the year- commemorate and celebrate one of the great-
round youn ded,
est events of human history-the discovery ence who, though highly recommended,
domestic worker when harvests of America. History, it may be truly said, +>howed his immaturity and poor judgment
were finished. The year-round farm is all biorah since by advocating the voyage itself be initiated
worker needs protection, too. He should cast in the image and deeds history great amen immediately." The letter went on to say
not be forgotten. Therefore, more specifically, we have joined that this Florentine was "quite eccentric
together to pay tribute to the memory of a * " * talks of flying machines and has man whose faith and ideals made possible himself an artist." The man that lias just
the discovery of the New World, That man, been described was Leonardo da Vinci.
The Legacy of Columbus and the of course, is Christopher Columbus, the A superb mariner, Columbus was not one
mariner, who, in the words of Morison, one to be easily discouraged. Having learned the
American Heritage of Freedom of his biographers, "did more to chart the art of seamanship at an early age, Columbus
course of history than any other individual conceived a great idea-that it would be pos-
since Emperor Augustus." Bible to sail due west to the Orient and es-
EXTENSION OF REMARKS It would be simple indeed to recount the tablish a western trade route to Asia. Even
o story of Columbus. It is unquestionably a he, however, could not have imagined that
HON. ROBER'N. GIAIMO - romantic story-one that captures the imag- what he made possible was not merely trade
ination of all-both young and old: the and commerce, but a community where
of CONNECTICUT trials and tribulations of this great naviga- people of all races, creeds, and national origin
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES tor, whose indomitable spirit, strength of would be able to bring not only the products
conviction, and perseverance achieved the of their labors, but their culture and civil-
Monday, October 28, 1963 greatest discovery of all times, are extremely ization, and in the process, build a land
Mr. GIAIMO. Mr. Speaker, on Sat- fascinating and even inspirational. where they might live in peace, harmony,
urday, October 12, I was privileged to That story, particularly in its broad out. and prosperity.
lines, is well known to most Americans, It is no wonder then that Columbus has
participate at a Columbus Day celebra- What is perhaps less known and not appre- been called by Morison "the sign and symbol
tion at the White House. After greet- ciated is that Columbus' achievement was of a new age of hope and glory". It is no
ing the large audience there assembled, much more than a feat of navigation in sail- wonder that his discovery is said to have
President Kennedy discussed the tre- ing westward over uncharted seas. The pre- marked "the end of the Middle Ages and
mendous importance of the discovery of eminence of Columbus does not stem from the beginning of one of man's most enlight-
America by Columbus. Commenting up- his discovery alone but in hastening others ening eras." The achievement is of such
on the traits of character required to along the same path by promise and exam- magnitude that it can truly be said that all
accomplish such a feat, the President ple. Columbus was not just another ex- Americans are the beneficiaries of his faith
Said' plorer,, but a man with a passion-a dreamer and perseverance. "I thank God," said Co-
The first voyages are the hard ones and with an enthusiasm which swelled and car- lumbus, "that He selected me to be the one
they require perseverance and character. ried the first generation of explorers to the to discover a new world where the oppressed
The President added that the lesson New World. and persecuted people of Europe can find
To Americans, therefore, Columbus has a new hope and faith for a better life."
that was taught by Columbus is a good special significance for, in a sense, all Ameri- A great deal has been written about that
lesson for all of us today as we attempt cans trace their origins to explorers-all im- momentous voyage. However, I do not be-
new things. migrants to this great land. Americans are lieve that this is the reason why we have as-
Not only did President Kennedy refer indebted to this first immigrant to our sembled here. Rather, I am of the firm con-
to the contribution of Columbus, but he shores for the great influence that migra- viction that we are assembled to co2nmemo-
very eloquently referred to the COntribu- tion has exerted upon our Nation-an influ- rate that historic discovery, and to appre-
very Americans who referred are t proud n share ence which has brought about a new concept ciate, in our own modest way, the far-reach-tion of with Columbus Americans
common ouditog I in modern civilization and made possible the ing implications of that great event. All of
America of today. us, therefore, are aware of the fact that al-
was privileged to have been asked by the Every schoolchild has heard of the story though we celebrate the 'tremendous
President to say a few -words on behalf of the- Santa Maria, the Pinta, and the Nina, achievement of Columbus, we are really
of the House of Representatives. and is familiar with the fact that, together commemorating, in view of its special signif-
One of the distinguished public of- with 86 men, Columbus sailed in search of a icance to us today, the first and perhaps the
ficials who was present at the White westward sea route to the Indies. We all greatest chapter of American history.
House celebration was the Honorable Ed- know, too, that the course of world history No American, however, must be misled by
ward D. Re, the Chairman of the Foreign was dramatically changed on October 12, the fact. that such a celebration is sponsored
1492, when he first cast his eyes upon the by any particular organization. Whether
Claims Settlement Commission. That American continent. Dressed in the uniform that celebration is sponsored by Americans
very evening Dr. Re spoke at a Columbus of an admiral of the Spanish Fleet, Colum- of Italian heritage, or by Americans of
Day banquet in Syracuse, N.Y., spon- bus went ashore and in the name of his Spanish heritage, or of any other national
sored by the Syracuse lodges of the Order sponsors, Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain, origin, the celebration retains its distinc-
Sons of Italy. In his talk, Dr. Re noted named the land San Salvador. tively American character. And for this
that the historic discovery of the New History also records that before the Span- reason all Americans should be grateful to
World by Columbus was the very begin- ish monarchs agreed to finance his voyage, the sponsoring organization for its leader-
ning of the events which made possible many of his appeals were in vain. One of ship and initiative in making the necessary
our American heritage of freedom. those appeals made to his native city of arrangements that have assured the success
Genoa may be of particular interest. A of this important and highly significant oc-
Incidentally, Mr. Speaker, -Dr. Re also committee was chosen of the finest aca- casion. For there can be no denial that the
was the principal speaker in Utica the demic minds of Genoa and its neighbors to fruits of the efforts of Columbus have been
Approved For Release 2004/06/23 : CIA-RDP65B00383R000200240060-0
 Approved For Release 2004/06/23 : CIA-RDP65B00383R000200240060-0
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD - APPENDIX
He quoted the official further: "Now, that
is going to make our voice in Vietnam sound
like nonsense, when we say that the Ameri-
can people are deeply disturbed, upset and
appalled by the beating up of newsmen."
Manning then asked. "Does Mr. Knight
really think these remarks are not fair
comment?"
The State Department official- accused
Knight of "the amateurish error of equating
off-the-record discussions with background
discussions,"
He pointed out that "off-the-record" meant
nothing could be printed, while "back-
ground" meant what was said could be
printed without attribution. The back-
ground conference is a long-standing prac-
tice here.
Manning was especially irritated by
Knight's reference to "these faceless men"
In the State Department and the suggestion
that they arrange such conferences "to de-
ceive or misinform the people."
The Department official, who worked for
news magazines and newspapers before com-
ing to his present post in April 1962, said of
this type of charge:
"I do not understand why decent Ameri-
cans who serve their country in the foreign
policy field should have to accept this kind
of abuse.
"I do not understand why a legitimate
effort to bring Washington legitimate news-
papermen with a legitimate interest in seeing
and hearing from top Government officials
should be maligned as some treacherous plot
to subvert the Republic.
"Fortunately the many letters of praise
from newsmen who did bother to attend
would seem to suggest that most of them did
not see it that way"
Manning said that while others in Gov-
ernment-"many cool heads," he called
them-had learned to ignore such attacks,
he has been here "too briefly to acquire that
stoicism" and a newspaperman too long to
"believe that the public deserves or wants
the kind of journalism represented in the
"Notebook" (Knight's column) of last week-
end to go unanswered."
Mr. Speaker, the full text of Secretary
Manning's letter to the Charlotte Ob-
server, Charlotte News, Chicago Daily
News, Detroit Free Press, and the Miami
Herald follows:
ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE,
Washington, October 16,1963.
John S. Knight's "Notebook" of last week-
end is astonishing for its bitterness, its
opinions-in-absentia and its inaccuracies.
It is unfortunate that Mr. Knight did not
attend the State Department briefing con-
ference he so thunderously, and unfairly,
condemns.
A few particulars:
1. He repeats the old false charge that
the U.S. Government deliberately lied to
newsmen at a similar briefing conference
in October of 1962.
On October 15, 1962, a U.S. official told
a similar background conference that the
United States did not know of the existence
of offensive Soviet missiles in Cuba. That
night, U.S. Intelligence processed films that
provided the first solid evidence of the ex-
istence of Soviet offensive missile bases and
missiles. The briefing conference continued
for a second day on October 16 and the sub-
ject of Cuba did not come up. The Govern-
ment could have revealed on that day the
dramatic new turn in events, at the expense
of alerting Russia to our discovery before
we had planned our counteraction. To
have done so would have risked disaster. I
have heard no responsible American sug-
gest that in this critical moment the Gov-
ernment should have done other than it did.
Mr. Knight must by now know the facts
about this one; they have been discussed re-
peatedly and at length. If he chooses to
misrepresent them. it is perhaps his priv-
ilege and, alas, his decision.
2. He jerks out of context a remark made
at the latest conference by a high State
Department official concerning Madame Nhu
of Vietnam. and he also seriously misquotes
that same official to suggest that he was try-
ing to charge the American press with "a
responsibility to aid and abet (U.S. Govern-
ment) schemes to put pressures upon the
leaders of South Vietnam". The official
neither said nor Implied any such thing.
What the official (not myself) did was to
remind his audience of editors and reporters
that their agencies and organizations were
in effect serving as the prime hosts for the
visit to this country of a Vietnamese person-
age who was closely connected with the re-
pressive steps that have been mounted
against American newsmen in Vietnam. He
referred to the strongly expressed desire of
the American press for effective U.S. protec-
tion of American newsmen in Vietnam. and
said:
"The press, both in Its competitive media
aspects and its organized associations, Is giv-
ing Madame Nhu the most triumphal recep-
tion that any foreigner in this country has
received In many years-29 major engage-
ments. Now, that is going to make our voice
in Vietnam sound like nonsense, when we
say that the American people are deeply dis-
turbed. upset, and appalled by the beating
up of newsmen."
Does Mr. Knight really think these remarks
are not fair comment?
3. He makes the amateurish error of equat-
Ing off-the-record discussions with back-
ground discussions, though newsmen have
maintained and practiced for years a sharp
able in many other respects but space, like
patience, runs out. The more than 500 edi-
tors, writers and broadcasters who attended
the Department of State briefing, and whose
integrity and acumen Mr. Knight so bitterly
attacks, can, I am sure, speak for themselves
if they choose.
A few final words, however, on behalf of
the Department of State and "the faceless
men" who devise to "deceive or misinform
the people." I do not understand why de-
cent Americana who serve their country in
the foreign policy field should have to accept
this kind of abuse. I do not understand
why a legitimate effort to bring to Washing-
ton legitimate newspapermen with a legiti-
mate interest in seeing and hearing from
top government officials should be ma-
ligned as some treacherous plot to subvert
the Republic. Fortunately, the many letters
of praise from newsmen who did bother to
attend would seem to suggesct what most of
them did not see it that way.
There are many cool heads In Washington,
men who have learned to let this sort of
thing fade away unanswered and whose final
satisfaction will come from the way they
have been served. I have been in Govern-
ment too briefly to acquire that stoicism,
however, and in newspapering too long to
believe that the public deserves or wants
the kind of journalism represented in the
Notebook of last weekend to go unanswered.
This, incidentally, is not off-the-record,
not background, and not otherwise faceless
or anonymous.
Yours sincerely,
distinction between the two. "Off-the-
record" means you can't print it. "sack- Cubans To Replace
nnot
t it b
t
ri
"
u
ca
n
means you can p
ground
attribute by name to the official who said
it. A newspaper editor's surprise at this
practice is difficult to understand.
4. He asks, "Why didn't one single editor
or broadcaster break the rules and tell the
story?" Presumably he has by now asked
the same question of four of his own Knight
newspaper correspondents, who registered to
attend the conference. And presumably
they, by now, have told him that (a) this
is a practice of long-standing, desired at
least as much by newsmen as by government
officials; (b) they were able to write in full
whatever the story seemed to them to be
and (c) nobody at the conference had to
attend, believe, print or otherwise dispose
of a single word or phrase he heard at the
2-day conference.
5. He suggests that no "self-respecting
newsman" would or should agree to such no-
attribution rules. Where has Mr. Knight
been? Most interviews conducted by news-
men in Washington and other national capi-
tals are "background" interviews in which
the newsmen do not name their sources.
Courts and police usually cannot persuade
newsmen to divulge their sources, though
the courts sometimes try; but newsmen in-
sist on the right to protect their sources, as
they should.
As for the use of the "background" rules
at this particular State Department meeting,
the reason is dramatically simple: at a pre-
vious State Department conference, at which
a mixture of on-the-record and background
Information was provided, the newsmen and
broadcasters in attendance were asked to
stipulate the rules under which they pre-
ferred the next meeting to be held. The
vote, which determined the rules used at the
recent conference in question, was four to
one in favor of "background." They could
have chosen full on-the-record talks or no
conference at all. They preferred "back-
ground" because they felt it produced more
and sharperguidance on current government
thinking.
EXTENSION OF REMARKS
OF
HON. BURT L. TALCOTT
OT CALIFORNIA
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Wednesday, October 23, 1963
Mr. TALCOTT. Mr. Speaker, in the
scurrying to propose suggestions for the
replacement of braceros, the opponents
are unable to propose a reasonable or
practical alternative. If the bracero
program is terminated, many rural agri-
cultural areas will be subjected to un-
believable chaos.
There is insufficient domestic labor
with the proper skills and desire at the
right place at the right time to handle
the harvests.
One suggestion is for Cubans to re-
place braceros, as outlined in the follow-
ing article from the Oakland Tribune:
California faces a massive increase in wel-
fare costs if the bracero farm labor program
is abandoned.
In sounding this warning Wednesday,
Manuel R. Castro urged fellow members of
the Alameda County Welfare Commission to
give serious attention to prospective farm
labor law legislation.
The bracero program, under which Mexi-
can nationals enter California under special
work permits to harvest crops, is due to ex-
pire December 31.
Castro said he has heard reports that there
are groups who want to bring in 200,000 or
300,000 Cubans from Florida and Miami to
harvest our crops for 3 months a year if the
bracero program ends on schedule.
NINE MONTHS
"What are they going to do the other 9
months? ? * " They're going to be on relief,"
Approved For Release 2004/06/23 : CIA-RDP65B00383R000200240060-0