Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-11-01
LETTERS TO THE STAR
Candid Views of Cuban Crisis Complexities


Disregarding the consid-
erations which prompted the
Cuban blockade, the Presi-
dents decision is to be most
highly commended. He has
bearded the Red Bear him
self rather than one of his
satellite cubs.
1t is of imperative import
ance to maintain our momen-
tum against communism.
Communist expansion in our
hemisphere will not be check
ed so long as Cuba is in So
Wet hands, whether or not
offensive weapons" are re-
moved from that island.
By our Governments own
aerial photographs and other
intelligence information, Cuba
still constitutes a grave threat
to our security. That imme-
date threat must be imme-
diately overcome. There is no
alternative to our returning
that island to a government
friendly to our interests. Our
periodic inspections of a
Communist Cuba are not
enough. If we can install
Minutemen in camouflaged
underground Silos, so can
they. If we can launch atomic
missiles from ships at sea and
from jet aircraft, so can they.
The spectacle of a Commu-
mist country, the first Com
munist country, being re-
turned to its citizens will be a
Western propaganda victory
which has no equal since the
inception of this Red world
menace.
T. f. JOerE.
4 4 4
Public and political reaction
to international events in the
Cuban episode has left this
observer numbed by an ap-
parent demonstration of mass
insanity. To congratulate
President Kennedy over what
may prove to be the demise of
any United States influence
south of the border" is a
phenomenon that defies COM
prehension and logical in
quiry into the realities of
our existence.
Peace at any price can no
longer be a slogan for the
neutralists and "disarm the
bomb" advocates alone to ad-
vance, for it is now the ap-
parent official policy of our
Government.
Does not the Cuban COM
promise" which bestows
United States protection
against invasion of Fidel
Castro for the removal of
Soviet missile bases, con-
stitute a sellout of Latin
America to Khrushchev? In
view of the consistent "A
year Soviet policy of broken
agreements and trickery, is
there any new evidence of
good faith existing to assure
us that offensive weapons will
not be surreptitiously snug
gled into Cuba by Soviet
agents? Cannot missile bases
be constructed underground
beyond the detection powers
of Photographic surveillance?
Does anyone question that
Castro's success in obtaining
United States security against
invasion by even Cuban ma
tionals will encourage a
stepped-up campaign Of
Communist subversion in the
Caribbean and Latin Amer
lea?
Press reports indicate that
certain Of our leading Sena-
tors, like Russell of Georgia,
questioned the President per-
sonally on the wisdom of a
blockade rather than direct
intervention in Cuba. The
price Americans will pay in
the future for our present il
lusory peace will be the result
of the Presidents giving the
wrong answer to that ques-
ton. Mr.. Kennedy may re-
ceive a Congress to his liking
on November 6 as a result Of
his deceptive victory, but the
ultimate consequence, unless
a principled policy against
communism is supplemented
soon, will produce untold
misery for all free Americans
in the future.
James P. Gleason
-
congratulate you on the
excellent interpretive article
of Earl H. Voss in your issue
Of October Is. I would like to
make two observations.
l. Just as Soviet bases in
Cuba would become worth
less were we to adopt a first
strike strategy, so would our
missile bases in Turkey be-
come useless were the Soviet
Union to strike first. Since
the writer regards it as axio-
matte that in any nuclear ex-