Evening star., 1960-12-17
Castro Assai|s
PreIate, Edges
Closer 10 Reds

~~~O uAO~0
HAVANA, Dec. II (AP)-
Fidel Castro today denounced
Cuba's highest-ranking Roman
Catholic prelate, Manuel Card
inal Arteaga. as q Judas" and
plunged deeper into the Rus
sian economic orbit.
In an angry 31a-hour speech,
the Prime Minister carried his
feud with the church to q new
height by charging that the 81
year-old Cardinal tolerated
Ithievery by ex-Dictator Full
gencio Batista and gave "the
kiss Of Judas to the bloody die
tator."
The Catholic Church has
openly come out against Com
Imunist inroads into Cuba. But
Mr.. Castro did not mention In
his speech at q labor rally the
signing yesterday Of q $l68
million commercial agreement
with the Soviet Union. Details
of the pact were not made
known, but it was the result ct
Cuban economic car Ernesto
(Che) Guevara's mission to
Moscow.
Ofhcials in Havana hinted
that the agreement is intended
to help solve Cuba's sugar prob
lem. critical now that United
States markets are completely
closed and a harvest estimated
at 8 million tons is approach
ling.
Earlier Pact Signed
Earlier this year Russia and
Cuba signed an agreement un-
der which Moscow contracted
to buy q million tons Of Gu
ban sugar annually for five
years. Under the terms Of
the agreement the Soviet Union
is to pay up to 20 per cent
| In cash at world market prices.
The accord provides Cuba with
O 12-year credit allowance for
Soviet purchases.
When Mr.. Guevara left on
his mission to Moscow last
month, private financial sources
here said his prime objective
was to place q major portion
Of the Cuban sugar harvest
in the Communist bloc to OF
set the loss in the United
States market.
Mr.. Castro completed ma
tionalization Of all banking
in Cuba with the announce
ment that the government had
taken control bf the Bank Of
Nova Scotia, q Canadian firm
which operated In Cuba for
81 years. Bank officials said
shareholders were paid in full.
2 Firms Returned
Two Canadian firms nation
allied with 165 United States
companies last October were
returned by the Castro govern
ment. Ofncials Of Exquisite
Form BraSsiere Co. and Moore
Business Forms said they had
been informed they could re-
sumo administration Of their
firms.
This was interpreted as part
Of Cuba's determination to ex.
pand commercial relations with
Canada and compensate for
loss Of United States markets.
Mr.. Castro's mood has shown
growing concern about the
church opposition and growing
economic difnculties facing the
country.
He hedged a bit after his
attack upon Cardinal Arteaga,
saying his revolution does not
desire conflict with the Cath
olic Church. Cuba Is predom-
'inantly Catholic.
While charging the church
has increased counterrevolu-
tionary activities" Mr.. Castro
said his government is not
against Catholics.
Thcfts Charged
The Prime Minister did not
refer to Cardinal Arteaga by
name, but his meaning was
unmistakable. He said Gen.
Batista stole publis funds and
added: The cardinal didn't
care about these things. He
was in the bloody, corrupt PAL
ace Of the tyrant who had
stolen so, so, 100 million pesos.
The cardinal didn't write
pastorals then. He went there
to give the kiss Of Judas to
the bloody dictator"
The cardinal was not avail
able for comment.
The Roman Catholic hier-
archy has issued several pas.
toral letters recently attacking
Communist influence in the
Castro regime.
Mr.. Castro picked q labor
rally as the forum for his at
tack and for what may be the
opening Of a government at
tempt to reorganize the judicial
system.
The time has come for the
people to reclaim their judicial
rights, he said. and apply the
surgical knife" to that branch.
A group identifying itself as
the National Association Of
Auxiliaries Of Judicial Power"
followed Mr.. Castro's speech
with a statement severely criti-
cal Of the judicial system. It
proposed a reorganization Of
the highest tribunals to include
persons Of recognized revolu.
tionary ideology."
Mr.. Castro in the past has
been able to surmount opposi-
ton in most quarters by organ
izine a revolutionary" segment
Of a group. such as a labor
lIni0n ond than YS,,eh{x0 q e.,