Evening star., 1962-12-24
November 30 Saw Beginning Of Crucial Negotiations
RESCUE


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not one. Of the prisoners had
detected not one had tes-
titled against his comrades,
not one had put on the kind OF
a show that would have war
ranted a television spectacular
The bravery and courage that
had been reported to Ameri-
can officials after the invas-
ion was still there after more
than a year in prison.
June, 1962-As the 60 wound
ed Cuban prisoners, who had
been released by Castro on
Credit" told their story
around the country, the in
terest Of prominent Americans
was again quickened. A COM
mittee Of 81, headed by Gen.
Lucius Clay, special advisor to
the President, was organized to
help the Cuban Families Com
mittee raise the $62 million.
Many months later, Gen. Clay
prompted the President to make
another needed statement OF
the Governments sympathetic
interest in private efforts to
get the prisoners out Of Cuba.
August, 1962-Attorney Gen.
eral Kennedy had been keep
ing in close touch with the Gu
bans ever since he served on a
survey team studying the ILL
fated Cuban invasion. Like Mr..
Hurwitch, he felt the Cuban
Families Committee was at a
disadvantage in negotiating di-
rectly with Mr.. Castro because
every member Of the committee
had a son or husband in prison,
He told the CubanS they need
ed an objective negotiator with
no emotional involvement. One
of the possible negotiators he
mentioned was James B. DON
ovan, the attorney who had
negotiated the release Of U-2
Pilot Gary Powers.
Donovan Approached
At that time, Mr.. Kennedy
had never met Mr.. Donovan.
Before Operation Habeas Cor
pus" was completed, the New
York attorney had become a
frequent visitor at the Justice
Department.
Mr.. Donovan got an assess
ment of the situation from Mr..
Hurwitch before he accepted
the assignment. He wanted to
know the Governments atti-
tude. He was told that someone
like him was needed to find out
if Mr.. Castro really wanted to
make a deal. Mr.. Donovan
agreed to serve as general coun-
sci of the Cuban Families with
out a fee. And he paid his first
call on Mr.. Castro.
That visit convinced Mr..
Donovan that Mr.. Castro was
serious and that he would be
willing to take commodities in
stead Of money.
October, 1962-Mr. Donovan
called again on Mr.. Castro
early in the month. This time,
he came back with an agree
ment in principle. Mr.. Castro
would be willing to take only
food and medicine for a to-
tai value of $50 million. Mr.
Donovan had knocked off the
remaining 50 million through
negotiation. 1t was tentatively
agreed that the prisoners
would be released on delivery
of 20 per cent Of the food and
medicine If there were salts
factory assurances that the re-
naming 80 per cent would be
delivered in six to nine months.
When Castro's technicianS
wanted to know what kind of
food and medicines would be
involved in the deal, Mr.. Dono-
van told them. to send him a
list of what they wanted.
When the list came, 1t was
as thick as a telephone book.
More than 10000 items - all
written in Spanish-were in
volved. On single page, items
ranged in cost from 8 cents to
$350,000.
Two days later, President
Kennedy announced the block
ade of Cuba and negotiations
collapsed.
Men Found Dying
November, 1862 Some mem
bers of the Cuban Families
Committee managed to visit a
few of the prisoners. They
didn't see much but what they
saw convinced them that some
of the men were dying. In
desperation, they called on the
Attorney General.
Mr.. Castro had let 1t be
known that he was willing to
negotiate again but 1t was i'm
possible to raise the money to
supply what Mr.. Castro wanted
quickly enough to save many
OF the prisoners. Was there
some other way, Mr.. Donovan
asked the Attorney General?
The answer to that question
launched Operation Habeas
Corpus" In seeking the an
swer. the Attorney General
made these points clear:
1t couldn't be done through
new laws or waving laws on
the books. 1t had to be done
within the framework of exist
ing law. And 1t had to be done
by private individuals. The
Government could not lend
any governmental power TO
carry 1t out.
Crucial Days
This is the day-by-day chro-
nology Of how the answer was
found and the mission carried
mt.