“Exile Army Was Destroyed”

Press, Volume C, Issue 29499, 28 April 1961, Page 13

“Exile Army Was Destroyed”

(A Z Press Assuciut ion—CopyrtQnt i NEW YORK, April 27. The Cuban exile army was destroyed for all practical purposes in last week’s landing, according to statements by reliable refugee sources in Miami, the “New York Times” reported today.

The sources said all that remained was a group of about 200 who refused assignment in the landing and another of 300 who were left behind in the training camps. The 2000 “missing” troops of whom Cubans had been seeking news in Miami never existed, the sources said. The explanation was that the strength of the force had been presented as 4000 to 5000 for propaganda purposes. Reporters were unable to check the figures, because of the secrecy surrounding the training camps and the whole operation. In fact, the sources said yesterday, it was very little more than ■ 2000 at top strength. This meant that most of the anxious families who had been trying to find out where their men were had been asking after prisoners or dead men. They had hoped that the missing men were among a reserve force that was still hidden somewhere The newspaper’s correspondent said that the story, as told yesterday by men involved in the development of the movement, was as follows— It teas decided to throw all available strength into one big stab. At the Cuban coast. The rising of the people was counted on to support the landing. For various reasons about 300 men were weeded out and left behind at the camps. About 1500 were to land at Coctfinos Bay on the south coast of Las Villas Province. Two hundred others were to strike near Moron on the north coast of Camaguey Province, as a diversion There was no reel reserve although a Cuban officer remarked yesterday that the plan was a violation of elementary military principles He said that American forces had been counted as a reserve echelon, but this had been cancelled by the United States Government before the movement was begun.

Captain Higinio Diaz com*, manded the , group of 200 who were to land near Moron. When he opened bis field orders at sea it was said he refused to make the landing. He had believed be was going tc Oriente Province, at the eastern, end of the island. Captain Diaz had been one of Dr. Fidel Castro’s captains in Oriente during the fighting against the Batista regime. He knew that area intimately and had many trusted underground contacts there. He refused to take his men into the unknown in Camaguey Province, the “New York Times” correspondent said. Hundreds of men described as prisoners taken in last week’s invasion were paraded before the television cameras in the Havana Sports Palace last night. Viewers were asked to telephone the studios with charges If they recognised any . of them as “criminals of the Batista dictatorship.” Most of the men were unshaven. Many smoked cigars or cigarettes. ' The television broadcast was monitored in Florida. Dr. Fidel Castro personally questioned some <rf the Prisoners. He told them: “I am here as your adversary but I have brought television here, so that you can explain what happened. This fight has cost lives on our side and your side. “The people of Cuba must know why the fighting took place, whose blood had to be spilled. We must seek the truth here.” He smoked a large cigar as he questioned the prisoners. Guerrilla fighters believed to be remnants of the invasion force have attacked a militia outpost and killed one militiaman. Havana Radio announced yesterday. Havana Radio announced that Cuban firing squads had executed two civilians In Matanzas Province ter ing in an uprising ’WheR -invasion forces eaten* *e area last week. ”