Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-04-13


fess Lost weeks violence broke out.
neared. One of Batista's many
DEGREES forbids more than three
people to collect in a group.
There's q Spanish word much
In use here" said q newspaper
man. TITS bolas. 1t means ru-
mors. We spend half our time
checking bolas."
Even in this period when Cas-
tro's main offensive was a war Of
nerves. the newspaperman had
not been to bed for several days.
While we talked, he divided his
time between trying to get through
q call to Oriente Province. keep
ing an eye on the door for the
ever-preSent censor and attempt
ing to devise some new way of
getting his story out.
According to the bolas," he
said, there are incendiary bombs
stored in the houses all around
here. Who knows?"
1t took q native Cuban-a
prominent businessman to ex-
plain why bolas are the order Of
the day.
Hungry for News
The people are hungry to know"
he said. They seldom can afford
to buy the Miami papers, and
when they can sometimes all ref
erences to Cuba are clipped out
Of the paper before they get it.
So they whisper. First thing a
man says when he comes to my
desk Is. what have you heard?"
He described himself as UNI
biased-not q Batista man, not a
Castro man, but a Cuban who
loves the country Of his fore
fathers.
Outside Of predicting that the
general strike would not succeed
in Havana because the soldiers
are for Batista and they've placed
members of their families in gov
eminent jobs. he remained aloof
from the days developments. In
stead, he discussed what was hap
pening to his countrymen.
Compared to BatiSta." he said.
'Machado was a saint" He was
referring to President Gerardo
Machado, whose brutal Dictator
ship was overthrown by high army
officers in 1888.
'Machado." he went on. never
tortured women"
He told stories about which I
had been hearing whispers all
day - about the middle aged
woman professor who signed an
affidavit describing the tortures
inflicted on her and then sought
sanctuary in a foreign embassy.
about the youths who were ar
rested in the middle Of the night
and never heard from again, about
the doctors shot down for treat
ing the wounds Of "oppositionists."
lmmorolity Is Fostered
This Cuban was concerned
about the latest suspension of civil
liberties but he seemed more con-
cerned about what he declared to
be Q suspension Of morality to fill
the Golfers Of the BatiSta regime.
The prostitutes are every
where" he said. They pay 81 in
protection for every four hours Of
work. There is protected sale of
heroin and protected numbers
running in addition to the wide
open gambling casinos.
THE government may be over
thrown in days but 1t will take a
whole generation to restore moral
ity. I know / can't be corrupted.
but what about my grandchildren?
They will accept immortality as
normal"
He was concerned. too. about
the youth whose education must
be deferred. The University Of
Havana had been closed for a
year. The high schools and insti-
tutes also are closed.
Where" he asked. ais the next
generation Of doctors and lawyers
to come from? Our youths are be-
ing destroyed-not only by MUIR
der and torture. Their minds are
being destroyed. too"
While we talked. night came to
Havana. On previous visits had
seen Havana come to life at
night. The Malecon, Havana's
promenade by the sea. had always
been filled with strollers. This
night. 1t was deserted. Havana
was watching and waiting.