Evening star., 1961-08-14
Red Tape Cut Speeds Return
Of U.S.. Plane, Cuban Boot
By the Associated Press

two countries, the United State:
will release a Cuban patrol boat
to Cuba while Cuban Prime
Minister Castro lets an Ameri-
can crew fly the plane to the
United States.
Although the agreement was
announced only Saturday, the
airline and the patrol boat are
scheduled to head for theil
homes tomorrow. This means 6
speedup in clearing an Eastern
AirlineS crew for travel to Hav-
ana. Normally, an American
has to follow an involved pro-
cedure in getting to Cuba.
The two countries no longer
have diplomatic relations and
travel to Cuba for Americans
generally is BARRED. On spe-
cial occasions. the United
States Government permits
such travel, but a visa has to
be obtained from Cuba and this
is done through a third coun-
try which has dealings with the
United States and the Castro
government.
Court to Get Immunity Plea
The United States Govern
ment also is prepared to ask
the Florida courts to give the
patrol boat immunity. Charles
r. AShmann, an attorney for
Harris & Co., a Florida adver-
tising firm, has said this COM
pany obtained a circuit court
order tying up the 40-foot,
$4,000 craft last week. He said
last night the boat isn't going
anywhere Tuesday" without a
State Department request for
its release.
Erwin Harris, head of the
advertising firm, has been
Seizing Cuban property where
ever he found it in Florida to
satisfy a $4,000 judgement he
won in prosecution of a claim
against Cuba. The claim was
based on an advertising bill
incurred by the Cuban Tourist
Commission.
In his note to Cuba, the
United States said it's policy is
where property Of a foreign
government has been made
subject to court process in the
United States to indicate
to the court that the United
States Government recognizes
that such property is immune
from execution to satisfy a
judgment against the foreign
government"
No Change in Plans
Joseph w. Reap, a State De-
partment press officer, said last
night he knew of no change in
the arrangement to turn the
vessel over to Cuban techni-
clans and seamen at Key West
tomorrow.
Three Cuban refugees sailed
the patrol boat SV-8 into Key
West July 20. The $3.2 million
four-engined Electra was on a
Miami to Tampa run July "a
when a gun-toting passenger
forced the pilot to fly it to
Havana. The Cuban govern
ment was not directly involved.
Mr.. Castro released the 80 pas
sengers and 5 crewmen, but
kept the plane and the hi
jacker, a naturalized American
of Cuban birth.
Agreement to return the
plane and patrol boat was
worked out in series of notes
through Swiss channels.
Yesterday, a Cuban Foreign
Ministry communique called
for the two countries to CO.
ordinate efforts to combat fu-
ture acts of air or sea piracy.
Not a Swap
In announcing the agree
ment, the State Department
brushed aside the Cuban pro-
pesals for common anti-hiiack-
ing measures and said the
agreement is definitely not a
swap" The official United
States position is that the SV-a
is. being returned through
United States due legal proc
.ess which is only coincidental
with the release of the airliner.
| United States sources guessed
Mr.. Castro was returning the
airliner because 1t has brought
him little more than propa-
ganda headaches. Its presence
at Havana airport has focused
worldwide attention on Mr..
Castro's general flouting of
international procedures, even
though no evidence is available
there that he engineered the
ihi-jacking.
Besides, the Electra appears
to be of little use to him. He
does not have the facilities to
start the turboprop plane and
it is liable to seizure if flown
outside Cuba.
There was little disposition
here to believe this removal of
one point of friction means MIR.
Castro is making any basic
change in his anti-United
States attitude.
Senator Humphrey, Demo-
crat of Minnesota, termed re-
turn of the Electra a friendly
straw in a turbulent wind" but
''only a token as to the real
problem" of appropriation.
Senator Mundt, Republican
hf South Dakota, approved of
the agreement but said it
Should not be regarded as a
precedent for future deals.