Evening star., 1947-10-05
By the Assoe;o,ed Press

~ HtS esssCtfo'Su fFSSh
HAVANA, Cuba. Oct. 4.-Gen,
Juan Rodriguez Garcia, who organ
lied the abortive expedition against
the Dominican Republic, said today
1t failed because it was formed by
"99% per cent of lunatics against
Il per cent of sane people"
The 60-year- -old Rodriguez said
failure could also be attributed to
the preparations taking too long. He
related his views in an interview at
the military hospital, where he is
being held prisoner with his son,
Horacio, %, who accompanied him
in the expedition.
He denied that the expedition had
at any time thought of turning
against the Cuban government.
The commander of the so-called
American Liberation Army said
he had invested all his money in
the attempt to overthrow the regime
of Dominican President Rafael Tru-
jillo by creating an expeditionary
force on Cuban soil to attack the
Dominican Republic.
Naturally" he added, many
Cuban friends and those of other
nations also contributed money for
the expeditions expenses, but 1t is
not the truth that any government
had officially financed the move
ment." He said the attitude of some
high Cuban authorities toward his
expedition could be described at best
as tolerant"
The Cuban Supreme Court is de-
liberat ting what action to take
against members of the 1,097
expedition. Magistrate Evelio Tabio
said today only top leaders would
be held, and that all but 176 were
already set free.
Accepts Whole Responsibility.
Rodriguez said that few days
before the expeditions failure he
had left Conf1tes Key aboard
Cuban navy launch for Havana with
officials who came to the island to
talk and find out what was going
on" He said these talks were with
high authorities" whose names he
refused to divulge.
He said he was concerned that
Thigh Cuban authorities who helped
us because they sympathized with
our cause be made to suffer I wish
that all responsibility should be left
to fall upon my shoulders"
The expeditionary force was frus-
trated in It's attempt to start a Do
ninican revolution by Cuban au-
thorities who seized the ships Aurora
and Maxine Gomez as they sailed
for the Dominican Republic to
launch the attack.
Gen. Rodriguez blamed Orlando
Masferrer, a Cuban with the rank
of lieutenant colonel in the expedi-
ton, with responsibility for letting
the Aurora fall into the hands of the
Cuban navy.
II had already given orders to de-
part for the Dominican Republic
with the ships Aurora and Maxine
Gomez" he said. Il was leading the
way on the Aurora with 400 men
and enough arms and ammunition
to equip another 1000 men, but
then we received call from the
Maximo Gomez in which Masferrer
informed me he was in a tough spot
II thought his ship went aground
and ordered the Aurora to turn
around and 60 to his help. Sudden
lv we found ourselves surrounded by
Cuban warships."
Gen, Rodriguez said that If Mas
ferrer considered himself lost the
thing for him to do was to let me
go ahead"
3 Americans Await Action.
Meanwhile, three Americans who
ioined the expeditionary forces aim
ing at the overthrow of President
Truiillo said they signed up three
months ago because I'VE had friends
in it and because we knew the
country was under an oppressive
dictatorship"
They were Hollis Smith. 26, Pail
sades Park, N. j.; Rupert E. Waddel,
27. and Thomas Sawyer, 26, both OF
New York City, They made the
statement in an interview while
awaiting action of the Cuban ST.
preme Court after having been
taken prisoners when the expedi-
tionary forces surrendered.
Mr.. Waddel and Mr.. Sawyer were
with the United States Army In the
war. Asked how they Jared as ex-
peditionaries they said "it reminded
us of the Army" Mr.. Smith said
he was employed as an explosives
expert with private firms before
joining the expedition.
Mr.. Sawyer had worked at an
automobile plant. Mr.. Waddel said