The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-11-09

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States.
There were two big reasons for
hesitancy before Offering him
American hospitality. One was
that he is a dictator, and Roose-
welt is trying to dissuade, not en-
courage the dictator disease IN the
Americas. Second was that Batista
has thwarted a good many AHneri-
can moves in Cuba, has tolerated,
if not been party to intermitten
'reigns of terror.
However, there was one surpass-
ing reason for doing business with
him, namely that Cuba rapidly is
going the way of radical Mexico
and there is no one else in Cuba
to do business with.
The Cuban situation is worth
serious attention, not only be-
cause it is at our. side door, but
because it is typical of what is
happening TO some other Pan
American neighbors.
Cuban HOOverS
When Roosevelt came into Of
fee, Cuba had been ruled for
eight years by lot of Herbert
Hoovers- ll-meaning capitalists,
interested only in dividends, and
not enqual to economic emergen-
cieS. Behind them was the Die
tator Machado.
Roosevelt and Sumner Welles,
the ambassador to Cuba, decided
to let political events take their
course. They smiled on the idea
of revolution. 1t came.
1t came with full force, bring
ing with it a tidal wave of long
needed social and economic re-
forms. Batista was the army
sergeant who backed the revolu-
ton. DR.. Grau San Martin was
his front man in the presidential
palace.
This, however, was not as the
state department planned it, so
Ambassador Welles tried to stem
the tide.
Welles, now under secretary of
state, is IS per cent right on
Pan-American affairs; is the be-
hind the-sceneS man responsible
for Roosevelt's highly successful
Good Neighbor policy.
In this case, however, he was
wrong. He tried to turn back
the clock of revolution, with
the result that he turned it
back too far. Back into Office
once more came virtually the
old pre-revolution gang. This
time they were CoOlidges in
stead of Hooyers. Their person.
atty was more pleasing.
Batista remained in control of
the military, but kept out of poll
tics.
Radicalism Again
But now, after the United
States has given sugar tariff
concessions, import-export bank
loans, and a trade treaty all
without improving Cuba's econo-
mic status-the old radical aim of
the Grau San Martin days has re-
turned. There are proposals to di-
vide up the vast sugar plantations
owned by the National City Bank
and the big sugar refiners. There
are proposals to scale down or re-
move the mortgages of American
bankers on Cuban property.
This time Batista has come
out of his tent, once again is
siding with the radicals.
To find out what he wants,
perhaps head off his radicalism,
the state department has invited
him to Washington. Whether it
turns back the clock of revolution
again remains to be seen. Some
day what is happening in Mexico
is going to happen in Cuba. The
state departments only choice is
to usher it in gradually.
Little Flower. La Guardia
After Roosevelt was defeated in
his purge attempts in Maryland
and Georgia, he received this tele-
gram from Mayor Fiorello La
Guardia: You should have plant
ed little flower in Georgia and
Maryland"
Shores From Mars
When a recording of the much
mooted Orson Welles broadcast,
"The War Of the Worlds" was
given before the federal commun-
ications commission, the White
House was invited to send a repre-
sentative.
Accordingly. Steve Early, presi-
Dental press secretary, and Col
onel Edwin Watson, military aide,
went to the Columbia Broadcast
ing studio to listen.
Steve later reported to the pres
ident that the broadcast was so
realistic that even though he
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