Evening star., 1961-05-20
CASTRO
Continued From First Page

Continued From First Page
an affirmative response from
DR.. Castro as we sincerely hope
we will, Mrs. Roosevelt, DR.
Eisenhower and I will take i'm
mediate steps to establish a ma
tional committee to raise the
necessary funds and work out
arrangements for receiving
contributions"
The UAW announcement
gave no estimate on the amount
of money that would have to
be raised. Retail prices of farm
tractors range from S2,500 to
49, 500, depending on the equip
ment.
Offer Made on TV
Mr.. Castro, speaking on tele-
vision from Havana, said the
1900 prisoners captured in the
April II attack would be ex-
changed "in increasing order
of Importance" for 500 bull
dozers.
The, Cuban Prime Minister
said he had reports that the
United States was considering
dealing through the Red Cross,
but that this was not neces-
sary. I'VE don't need inter-
mediaries." he said, adding,
"Mr. Kennedy now has the
floor"
When he made the dis
closure Mr.. Castro had been
in the midst of a speech to
Cuban government officials,
foreign diplomats and unicn-
lists. They were attending a
meeting to celebrate mis- VIM
ming Of the Lenin Peace Prize.
Band Plays InternatiOnaIe
The audience cheered and
waved Cuban flags, sang revo-
lutionary songs and shouted,
"Fidel, Fidel." while Mr.. Cas-
tro smiled. A band played the
Cuban national anthem, fol-
lowed by the Communist In
ternationale.
Mr.. Castro startled his audi
ence when he said the Cuban
Navy had evidence that a
launch that disappeared May 6
with a loss of II lives had been
sunk by "a submarine of the
Central Intelligence Agency"
1T is, of course, difficult to
prove, but our conclusion was
that our vessel was sunk by a
penetrating torpedo" Mr.. Cas-
tro said.
He added that prior to the
disappearance of the launch -
the R43 - the navy had re-
ceived an SOS saying, They
sank us, they sank u.s."
At the time of the incident
the Cuban Navy officially an
nounced the vessel was Launch
R43" and reported it was sunk
off the port Of Mariel, about
Is miles west Of Havana, on
the northern coast Of Cuba.
The launch's SOS was received
at 9:46 am. on May 6 and its
last message at 10 am.
After repeating his proposal
to trade prisoners for bulldozers
"as compensation for the dam
age caused by the invasion
forces" Mr.. Castro asked his
audience whether he had its
approval. The crowd cheered
noisily.
Would Trade Leaders
Mr.. Castro also offered to
trade the leader Of the inva-
sion forces-Capt. Manuel Ar
time - for Francisco (The
Hook Molina. a Cuban now
awaiting sentence in New York
City on a second degree mur-
der conviction.
Molina was convicted of
Staying 9-year-old Magdalena
Urdaneta of Venezuela during
a gunbattle between pro and
anti Castro elements in a Man.
haitian restaurant.
The Molina case has been
widely played up in Cuba as
a politically inspired judicial
decision based on United States
hatred Of Mr.. Castro.
The Prime Minister said the
most important prisoners now
in Cuba would be returned last,
but only after he had received
the last lot of bulldozers.
Besides Capt. Artime, Mr..
Castro is holding Jose Miro
Torra. son of Jose Miro Car
dona, who is head Of the anti
Castro Revolutionary Council,
and Carlos Varona, son of An
tonic Varona, who is another
exile leader.