Evening star., 1938-11-19
Cuba Would Join
u. 5. Against Attack
From Overseas
Interests Of Hemisphere
To Lead Relations,
Says Botistu
BY CARLOS ]. VIDELA,

BY CARLOS ]. VIDELA.
NEW YORK. Nov. 19.-If overseas
aggression involves the United
States in war of self-defense, or
Of defense of another American ma
ton, Cuba, which sided against
Germany in 1917, would again act
in sympathy with its northern
neighbor, Col. Fulgencio Batista,
strong man" of Cuba and chief of
It's army, declared in an interview.
Cuba" he said, will act in her
international relations in a manner
calculated to further the interests
OF the whole Western Hemisphere.
In common action by all the three
Americas lies our strength. There
fore, if war were brought to the
Americas by an overseas enemy,
Cuba would be glad to let American
Warships use her territorial waters
and port facilities, just as she would
help ships OF other American nations
in the same way. Cuba would not
feel that by doing this her national
sovereignty would be affected. On
the contrary. she would feel proud
to cooperate in the task of the
common defense of the Continent"
Rose From Sergeant.
The colonel is a sturdilv built,
sWarthy man of medium height in
his late thirties, who, five years
ago, after the revolt that put an
end to the presidency of Gerardo
Machado, rose suddenly from the
rank OF sergeant to the supreme
command of Cuba. He is currently
referred to as dictator" of that
country, but this he denies with
warmth, asserting that Cuba has a
constitutional government. that
President Federico Laredo Bru was
freely elected and that there is
complete freedom of speech in the
island republic.
Col. Batista was interviewed In
his midtown hotel suite. where he
is staying on this. his first official
visit to New York. A squad of
motor cycle police stood ready in
the street to escort him on his
| official errands. and few uniformed
patrolmen kept watch in the hotel
| lobby, while plainclothes men and
State trooper guarded the Cuban
chiefs suite and had all packages
opened out in the hallway before
being brought inside, to prevent any
attempts on his life.
The colonel had just submitted
good d-humoredly to barrage of
questions from girl reporter for
tabloid who wanted to know
all about the Cuban's love life. He
answered her readily, with wide
grin and quick gestures, although
his eyes followed her with puzzled
look when she left.
/ Asked about Nazi penetration In
his country. Col. Batista replied
that, so far, it is negligible. but that,
if it should be tried. Cuba would
know how to deal with it."
Wants Harmony.
The island republic. the colonel
said, wants to live and work in
harmony with the United States
and with all the nations of this
hemisphere. Cuba. he added. has
no designs on any of her neighbors
and does not contemplate any pol
icy toward foreign-oWned property
there that could bring about ami
mostly and i'll will. His country, Col.
! Batista declared. is hard at work
! trying to better the lot of the ma
! jority, and for this purpose it has
adopted program of modern re-
/ forms. He cited as an example
Cuba's new criminal code. which
treats the criminal as what he is
a sick man who needs attention"
| When the subject of the forth
| coming Pan-American Conference
at Lima. Peru. was brought up. Col.
/ Batista said that the Cuban delega-
ton is going there with an open
mind and will do all it can to CO.
operate with the others and get con-
crete results.
How does Cuba feel about the
Pan-American League of Nations
proposed by former President Tru-
jillo of Santo Domingo?" he was
asked
IN general. I can say that Cuba
will back any movement that will
strengthen the bonds among the
American nations" he replied. but
1 don't think mine and other coun-
tries feel very enthusiastic about
this proposed league of nations.
Look at what became Of the other
one at Geneva"
Trade Rslations.
How about trade relations be-
tween Cuba and the United States?"
LAS you know, reciprocal tariff
agreement was signed in 1884
whereby We made concessions on
more than 400 items of American
origin and granted duty reductions
on them of from 20 to so per cent,
while the United States. in turn.
gave us large tariff reductions on
sugar. rum and tobacco. covering
about 80 per cent of Cubas exports
to your country. At the present time
we are giving thought to possible
notifications in this agreement that
would give us both added advan-
tages. I don't expect any trouble
at all when the time comes for off,
cial discussion of these changes.
Meanwhile, we are bending every
reasonable effort toward increasing
trade with one another"
In 1929, before the depression,
Cuba bought s12S,OOOO0O worth Of
American products and sold s207,-
100000 worth to the United States.
Although last years figures were
far below those, Col. Batista be-
lieves that the near future holds
possibility Of return to the more
prosperous days.
Say" he told the writer, that I
| "a rru with rae tho dooroct i,,ararac