Mendieta to the Left

Honest and idealistic is President Carlos Mendieta, an old dog of Cuban politics, who until last week no one believed could learn any new tricks. His way of running Cuba has been just liberal enough to feint off Revolution. But after nine months of turmoil and successive-governments, thousands of Cuban workers were still risking jail to agitate labor and social reforms. President Mendieta last week swung suddenly and spectacularly from Right to Left, with ten decrees, more radical in some instances than anything Radical President Ramon Grau y San Martin had tried.

Six of them were internal:

1) Amnesty for more than 2,000 prisoners, including Communists, jailed in Mendieta's war against strikes.

2) A civil service system for public employees.

3) A homestead law, granting land to poor farmers.

4) Banks for agricultural credits.

5) Plans to fight unemployment.

6) Confiscation of property and disqualification from future public office of guilty Machadistas.

Four others were pointed at foreigners:

1) An increase in the percentage of native or naturalized Cubans which any private enterprise must hire--from the 50% which ex-President Grau enacted but was unable to enforce, to 75%.

2) A prohibition upon foreigners acquiring land except by special permission to establish new industries.

3) Stricter control over private corporations that rent land.

4) Revision of the land tax system.

Last week Cuba's State Department prepared to demand the persons of Fugitive Tyrant Machado and his onetime Minister of War Alberto Herrera from the U. S. The charge was murder.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.