Wooden Anniversary

Few revolutions have fared worse. Virtually every human necessity is rationed, the country is in economic confusion, "voluntary" fund drives are confiscatory, wages are falling through the cracks in the floor, and men and women alike are being drafted for forced labor in the fields. But last week on the wooden anniversary of the Cuban revolution. Fidel Castro was still the picture of Communist bluster, and his helpless people still cheered obediently.

MIGs & Rockets. Above the reviewing stand in Havana's Plaza de la Revolucion screamed supersonic MIG-21 Russian fighters, now flown, said announcers, "by Cuban youngsters." Below rolled an hour-long parade of Russian-made tanks, artillery, armored cars, rocket launchers--and battalion after battalion of tough-looking, Russian-trained troops. "We alone." shouted Castro, "could not have resisted imperialism--the blockades, the aggressions, the economic strangulation. But with these arms, we can fight against the best-equipped forces of the imperialist Army of the U.S."

Castro accused U.S. agents, "operating from Florida," of sinking a Cuban torpedo boat off the Isle of Pines on Christmas Eve. "A great explosion." he thundered, "cost the lives of three companeros of the revolutionary navy and the blood also of 17 others, who were wounded. This was a criminal attack, a cowardly attack, an unjustified attack." An anti-Castro exile group calling itself Commandos Mambises and operating from a Central American base claimed credit for the raid. But Castro directly blamed the U.S. and President Johnson: "That was the CIA Christmas present to the Cuban people. President Johnson is the one guilty of the sabotage." Castro then quoted proudly and at length from a New York Times editorial printed earlier in the week declaring that "the Castro regime is certainly strong and possibly stronger than ever." The crowd loudly applauded the Times and the regime.

No Sugar, No Mills. But after five years of Fidel, there was nothing to cheer about in a Cuban economy sinking steadily lower with little hope of improvement. Mismanagement and a catastrophic October hurricane reduced the 1963 sugar crop to 3.8 million tons--lowest in 20 years and half the size of the pre-Castro harvest. This year, according to U.S. estimates, the crop will run only to 4,000,000 tons--barely enough to meet Cuba's Iron Curtain commitments. Russia had promised to deliver 3,500 automatic cane loaders and build 500 more in Cuba. As of last week, only 1,500 were available. Also promised were three new sugar mills: only one is ready.

How badly Castro feels the economic pinch is evident in a recent series of feelers to "normalize" relations and resume trade with the U.S. Last week in a telephone interview with ABC's Lisa Howard. Castro suggested that President Kennedy was leaning in that direction before his death, and Castro added: "The decision belongs to the U.S. Government to take the next step to help that normalization, because it is difficult to say what we can do." In Washington, Secretary of State Dean Rusk swiftly denied that Kennedy saw any early improvement in relations with Cuba. As for the new Johnson Administration, there were indications of an even tougher line evolving to isolate Cuba still further and prevent Castro from exporting his Communist revolution to the rest of Latin America.

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