Kennedy’s Vow To Central America

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30085, 20 March 1963, Page 13

Kennedy’s Vow To Central America

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) SAN JOSE (Costa Rica), March 19. President Kennedy has vowed “fierce and unyielding resistance” to the spread of Coimnunism in the Western Hemisphere.

He arrived in San Jose yesterday for a three-day conference with six Central American Presidents and promised to increase tihe hemisphere’s capacity to prevent infiltration of Cuban agents, money and ■ propaganda. Security officials said Mr Kennedy received the greatest welcoming ovation in Costa Rica’s history. He was cheered by about 250,000 Costa Ricans on a drive from the airport to San Jose after a flight from Palm Beach, Florida. President Kennedy seemed not to mind she rib-crunchtag, festive riot, the Associated Press reported. Twice his car was brought to a halt and surrounded by the cheering crowd, which swept aside carefully - planned security

An eruption of 11,600-foot Mount Irazu, 20 miles from San Jose, sprayed the city with a coat of fine ash as President Kennedy landed

An eruption of the same volcano buried tihe old capital city of Cartago in 1910. There has been no lava flow during Irazu’s present activity, and authorities said there was no cause for alarm, United Press International reported. Irazu has been active for nearly a week with smoke and fine ash belching from its cone. Tumbling rocks have forced the evacuation of some homes on the slopes of the extinct crater.

President Kennedy said in a speech addressed to the Presidents of Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador. Honduras and Guatemala: “We will build a wall around Cuba. Not a wall of mortar or brick or barbed wire but a wall of dedicated men determined to protect their own freedom and sovereignty “The Soviet Union through its Cuban puppets absorbed the Cuban nation into its despotic empire—and it now seeks to extend its rule to the shores of continental America,” he said “We shall continue under the Alliance for Progress to build economies more balanced and less dependent on one or two export commodities,” he said. “To this end, we must push forward plans for industrialisation, greater crop diversification. strong educational facilities and better utilisation of resources.” The economic outline coincided with the thinking of the assembled Latin American Chiefs of State, A.P said They wanted action on Cuba, but believed their best defence against Cuban subversion was to heighten the social . and economic wellbeing of their own peoples Mr Kennedy was accomoanied by the Secretary of State (Mr Rusk) and six Congressional representatives. His 1600-mile flight from Palm Beach to San Jose was chartered to keep him at least 200 miles from Cuba. A direct flight would have taken the President’s jet across the island.