Evening star., 1962-10-24

lof (which threaten the Sc
Icurity and independence of de-
fenseless neighboring states
which are installed by clandeS-
tine means-which result ir
the most formidable nucleal
base in the world outside ex-
y iSting treaty systems-assist-
ance in this form and with
, these purposes is radically diff
) ferent.
There is, in short, a vast diff
: ference between the long-range
! missile sites established years
ago in Europe and the long
range missile sites established
by the Soviet Union during the
last three months.
There is a final significant
] difference the principle OF
territorial integrity of the West
ern Hemisphere has been woven
. into the history, the life and the
, thought of all the people OF the
Americas. In striking at that
principle the Soviet Union is
striking at the strongest and
most enduring strain in the
policy of this hemisphere. 1t is
disrupting the convictions and
aspirations of a century and a
half. 1t is intruding on the firm
policies of 20 nations. To allow
this challenge to go unanswered
would be to undermine a basic
and historic pillar of the Sc
curity of this hemisphere /.
Soviet arms and technicians
began to move into Cuba in a
massive, continuous stream.
But. even then, the govern
ments of the hemisphere were
willing to withhold final judg-
ment so long as, the Soviet
weapons were defensive. And
my Government - and the
United Nations-were solemnly
assured by the representatives
of both Soviet Russia and Cuba
that the Soviet arms pouring
into the island were, in fact,
purely defensive weapons
SOmber Transformation
This once peaceable island is
being transformed into a for
midable missile and strategic
air base armed with the dead
liest, far-reaching modern nu-
clear weapons.
The statement issued by the
Soviet government this morning
does not deny these facts
which is in refreshing contrast
to the categoric assurances on
this subject which they had
previously given.
However, this same statement
repeats the extraordinary claim
that Soviet arms in Cuba are Of
a defensive character. !
should like to know what the
Soviets consider offensive"
weapons. In the Soviet lexicon
evidently all weapons are pure
lily defensive. even weapons that
can strike from 1000 to 1900
miles away.
When the Soviet Union sends
thousands Of military techni-
clans to its satellite in the
Western Hemisphere-when II
sends jet bomberS capable OF
delivering nuclear weapons
when it installs in Cuba mis-
siles capable of carrying atomic
warheads and of obliterating
the Panama Canal, Mexico City
and Washington-when it pre-
pares sites for additional mis-
siles with a range of 1900 miles
and a capacity to strike at tar
gets from Peru to Hudson's Bay
when it does these things
under the cloak Of secrecy and
to the accompaniment Of pre-
'meditated deception-when its
actions are in flagrant violation
of the policies of the Organiza-
ton of American States and of
the charter of the United Ma
tions-this clearly is a threat
to this hemisphere. And when
it thus upsets the precarious
balance in the world, it is q
threat to the whole world.
We now know that the Soviet
Union. not content with DR..
Castro's oath of fealty, not
content with the destruction of
Cuban independence, not con-
tent with the extension Of
Soviet power into the Western
Hemisphere, not content with
a challenge to the inter-
American system and the
United Nations charter. has de-
cided to transform Cuba into
a base for Communist aggres-
sion, into a base for putting all
of the Americas under the nu-
clear gun and thereby intensity
the Soviet diplomacy Of black
mail in every part Of the
world
Fail Cause Of Peace
; If the United States and the
; other nations of the Western
Hemisphere should accept this
new phase of aggression, we
would be delinquent in our OBJ
! legations to world peace. II
the United States and the
other nations of the Western
; Hemisphere should accept this
! basic disturbance Of the worlds
structure of power, we would
| invite a new, surge of Com
munist aggression at every
: point along the frontier which
divides the Communist world
from the democratic world. II
we do not stand firm here, our
! adversaries may think that we
will stand firm nowhere-and
; we guarantee a heightening OF
the world civil war to new
levels of intensity and danger,
We hope that Chairman
Khrushchev has not made a
miScalculation, that he has not
mistaken forebearance for
weakness. We cannot believe
that he has deluded himself
into supposing that though we
A