Cuban Prisoners Feel Hopeful

Press, Volume C, Issue 29524, 27 May 1961, Page 11

Cuban Prisoners Feel Hopeful

(NZ Press Assoctauon— Copyright) MIAMI, May 26. Ten Cubans will fly back to captivity in Cuba tomorrow without knowing whether the tractors-for-prisoners deal they have tried to arrange in the United States will gain them their freedom.

The 10 men have been free 1 for a week in the United ; States. Americans and others i have been asked to raise ' 15.000 million dollars or more needed to buy the 500 tractors i that the Cuban Prime Mini- 1 ster (Dr. Castro) has set as ‘ the price for freeing prisoners taken during the abortive i Cuban invasion. j The men attended mass tn J a Miami church yesterday. ’ where special prayers were offered for those .in Cuba’s gaols. A spokesman for the prisoners said: “They do not know whether they succeeded or not, A lot of things are still pending. They have done all there is to be done at this time." The prisoners said they had not obtained a firm commitment for the tractors, but had faith in the Tractors for Freedom Committee headed by Mrs Eleanor Roosevelt, Dr Milton Eisenhower and Mr Walter Reuther, the Associated Press reported. A statement issued by the group on their return from Washington said: "We, the Cuban prisoners, have reason to feel hopeful after our trip

to Washington to obtain the 500 tractors to cover the indemnification claimed by the Cuban Government." The prisoners’ spokesman said the 10 would meet with Cuban Government representatives as soon as they returned to Havana and would see whether Dr. Castro would accept the arrangements being made in the United States by citizens’ groups to provide the tractors. Dr. Castro earlier promised to release 1214 prisoners taken during last month’s unsuccessful invasion. in return for the farm machinery. The Tractors for Freedom fund said last night It had received 200 to 250 letters this week but only about 50 of the letters contained money. The treasurer of the fund Mr Joseph Dodges, said no money totals would be announced until the programme was firmly organised. The first announcement probably would be made next week, he said.