Evening star., 1961-04-21
CUBA
Invaders Declared
7 roined by U. S.

anything to do with the opera
ton.
Havana said all captured
weapons were North American
arms" and included five Sher-
man tanks, machineguns. rifles,
anti-tank guns, rocket launch
erS, flamethrowers and trucks.
Havana once more charged
that United States-type war
planes supported the landings.
The rebel invaders earlier had
charged they were met on the
beaches by RuSSian-made tanks
and were attacked by Soviet
made MIG jets.
/ Havana radio asserted Prime
Minister Castro personally led
the fight against the invaders.
His absence from Cuban air.
waves has led to speculation he
may have been incapacitated or
shunted aside by the Commu-
niStS.
/ The Caribbean island was re-
ported still tense and swept by
fears and rumors that damp
ened victory celebrations by
supporters Of the Castro regime.
The government radio said
that Mr.. Castro, who has not
appeared on broadcaStS since
the landings Monday, would
make an appearance at a giant
May Day celebration on May l.
The rebel Radio Swan
claimed that the anti-CaStro
ranks were swelling with large
numbers Of teachers, students,
workers. peasants and house
wives joining the guerrillas in
the mountains. /
More Battles Predicted
Predictions of more battles
came from both pro-Castro and
anti-CaStro camps.
The Soviet Communist Party
newspaper Pravda told it's
readers there was chance of a
new invasion, that the gam
blerS have no intention Of leav-
ing Cuba alone"
A Cuban insurgent source in
Miami said that only about
one fifth. 900 out Of 5000
of the anti-Castro troops being
trained in exile were used in
the weekend landings.
The Havana radio said the
son of DR.. Miro Cardona. four
"Fslanglst priests" and four
doctors we're among the pris-
onerS captured on the beach
head. Young Miro Cardona was
quoted as saying both he and
his father had been mistaken
in their estiE1ate of Cuban re-
action to the landings. :
The Cuban announcement
did not give the number OF
prisoners taken. but reports
officially distributed to Com
munist newspapers in East
Berlin said they totaled 500.
almost half the invasion force.
Battlefield Described
Yugoslav correspondents who
toured the beach area said it
looked like a World War II
battlefield shell holes
thousands of gun and rifle
bullets trucks and armored
cars on fire destroyed Sher-
man tanks ruins of houses
and near the beach the
wreck of a ship used for disem-
barkment. .- A
The Yugoslav report said
about 800 wounded government
soldiers are in temporary hos
pitals set up in the area.
The general quiet in Havana
last night amid the govern
ment claims Of victory was
attributed by this observer to
heavy casualties suffered by
Castro forces in the fighting.
A Swiss Embassy spokesman
said Castro police we're still ar
resting suspected counterrevo-
lutionarieS. The Havana cor
respondent Of the Belgrade .
newspaper Politika reported
"merciless arrests of suspicious
characters" He said this round
up "aS well as executions Of .
those caught in sabotage is
the explanation for the great
success of Cuba" 4
In Mexico City Guiana AIR
lines announced it was resum- +
ing flights between that city
and Havana today.
Abroad American prestige
and that OF President Kennedy
took a sharp drop because OF
the rebel setback. Disappoint-
msnt at the open American
eSpousal of the rebel cause
was expressed even IN some
sections Of the European press
usually favorable to America.
But Mr.. Kennedy's speech yes
terday was hailed by some as
tough fighting challenge to
communism.