New York Times
April 19, 1961.  p. 1.

Soviet Urges U.N. To Assist Castro
Calls for Action to Disarm Cuban Rebels in U.S.

By Thomas J. Hamilton
Special to The New York Times

        UNITED NATIONS, N.Y., Wednesday, April 19--The Soviet Union proposed last night that the General Assembly request all members of the United Nations to provide the "necessary assistance," if requested by Cuba, to repulse the "aggression" there.
        Under a resolution introduced by Valerian A. Zorin, the Soviet representative, the Assembly would also request the "immediate disarming" of all "counter-revolutionary bands" stationed on the territory of the United States and other countries.
        The Soviet draft resolution would condemn the "aggressive actions" of the United States and other countries "from whose territory the invasion is being carried out" and request all members of the United Nations to stop assistance to such groups.
        Mr. Zorin introduced the Soviet proposal after Adlai E. Stevenson, the United States representative, had struck back angrily against the "innuendoes, half-truths and falsehoods" alleged by Cuba and the Soviet Bloc against United States actions in Cuba.
        Mr. Stevenson read to the committee President Kennedy's reply to a message from Premier Khrushchev. Mr. Stevenson repeated his denial that any offensive had been launched against Cuba from United States territory.
        Carlos Alejos of Guatemala repeated his Government's denial that anti-Castro forces now engaged in Cuba had come from Guatemala.
        Mr. Zorin dismissed these denials and asked sarcastically whether the landing forces had come from outer space. he remarked that only one person in the world, Major Yuri A. Gagarin of the Soviet Air Force had ever come from outer space.
        After the committee began its night session seven Latin American countries circulated a draft resolution asking the members of the Organization of American States to help settle the dispute between the United States and Cuba.
Mexico Urges Appeal
        Earlier, Dr. Luis Padilla Nervo of Mexico introduced his own resolution, under which the Assembly would make an urgent appeal to all states to insure that "their territories and resources are not used to promote the civil war in Cuba."
        The committee also has before it a Rumanian resolution demanding "the immediate cessation of the military operations against the Republic of Cuba" and appealing to the states "whose territory and means" are being used for an attack on Cuba to stop every assistance "without delay."
        The introduction of the tough Soviet resolution had been expected as a result of the strong line taken by Premier Khrushchev in his message to President Kennedy.
        However, it is given no chance of adoption, and Mr. Zorin suggested that the Assembly expedite the adoption of the Rumanian proposal to prevent the deterioration of the situation. This would give time, he said, for longer consideration of the Soviet proposal.
        Mr. Stevenson took the floor after the introduction of the Soviet proposal to assure delegates that the United States was not "trembling with fear" over the Soviet attack.
        Dr. Raul Roa, Cuban Foreign Minister renewed his attack on the United States in a statement just before the committee adjourned at 12:20 A.M.
        Replying to questions put to his yesterday by Dr. Roa, Mr. Stevenson insisted that the United States could not be held responsible for the alleged use of United States-manufactured weapons by the rebels fighting against Premier Castro's regime.
        Mr. Stevenson said that these weapons were of World War II vintage and were generally available through private channels in both Latin America and Europe. Dr. Roa exhibited eight photographs of such weapons yesterday and challenged the United States to say whether they could be obtained by means other than arrangements between governments.
Latin Resolution Circulated
        After the committee began its night session, seven Latin American countries circulated a draft resolution asking the members of the Organization of American States to help settle the dispute between the United States and Cuba.
        Premier Khrushchev's letter to Mr. Kennedy and an accompanying statement by the Soviet Government were read to the committee during the morning by Valerian A. Zorin, Soviet representative. At that time, Mr. Stevenson informed the committee that he would submit Mr. Kennedy's reply when it was available.
        Mr. Stevenson did not enlarge upon Mr. Kennedy's firm answer to Mr. Khrushchev. However, he condemned the "poison" of the accusations made against the United States by Cuba and her "new friends" in the Soviet bloc.
Cable Ship Incident Cited
        Taking up one incident emphasized by Dr. Roa, Mr. Stevenson insisted that the cable ship Western Union, which was forced to enter Cuban waters several weeks ago by a Cuban Coast Guard vessel, was not carrying any gasoline beyond that necessary for her own needs.
        Dr. Roa had contended that the Western union was carrying 180,000 gallons of hich-octane gasoline, the typed used by airplanes, and that United States destroyers forced Cuba to release her. Mr. Stevenson commented that if the cable ship had been carrying that much gasoline it would have sunk.
        In a spirited counter-attack, in which he assailed the "betrayal" of the Cuban revolution by Premier Castro, Mr. Stevenson ridiculed the Cuban contention that the preferential quotas formerly given imports of Cuban sugar into the United States were "economic bondage" while their cancellation by the United States constituted "economic aggression."
        Alluding to the Soviet Union, Mr. Stevenson said that Cuba now had a new and powerful friend, "just like Little Red Riding Hood in the fable."
        The draft resolution circulated by the seven Latin-American countries suggested that the members of the Organization of American States--the twenty Latin-American countries plus the United States--"lend their assistance in order that a settlement may be achieved by peaceful means in accordance with the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter and of the Charter of the Organization of American States."
        The draft resolution also contains an appeal to all members of the organization "to abstain from any action which may aggravate existing tensions." It was introduced by Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Honduras, Panama, Uruguay and venezuela.
        Mr. Zorin made no comment when he read to the committee the texts of Premier Khrushchev's message, in which he warned Mr. Kennedy, that "we shall render the Cuban people and their Government all necessary assistance in beating back the armed attack on Cuba."
        However, United States "aggression" was denounced by Jori Nosek of Czechoslovakia and Bohdan Lewandowski of Poland. Both Communist-bloc representatives urged the adoption of a Rumanian draft resolution demanding the immediate cessation of military operations against Cuba and an end of all "assistance" to those carrying out the "armed attack" on Cuba.
        It is generally believed that Mr. Zorin's mild remarks in the debate on Cuba yesterday resulted from the fact that he had not yet received instructions from Moscow as to whether he should make a full-dress attack on United States policy.
        Mr. Stevenson told the committee after Mr. Zorin spoke earlier today that he agreed with the Soviet statement in at least one respect, that the United States was not endangered by Cuba.
        "But what the Soviet statement disregards," Mr. Stevenson said, "is that many Cubans consider themselves endangered by the regime in Cuba.
        "I am also glad to hear the representative of the Soviet Union say that his Government believes that no people has the right to enforce upon another its way of life," he declared. "With that, we emphatically agree."
        Miso Pavicevic of Yugoslavia cited Article 15 of the Charter of the Organization of American States, which provides that no country or group of countries has a right to intervene, directly or indirectly, for any reason whatsoever, in the domestic or foreign affairs of any other country.
        Another neutralist delegate, Omar Loutfi of the United Arab Republic, called for the stoppage of any aid to the "enemies of the Cuban revolution," to be followed by a peaceful settlement between Cuba and the United States by means provided in the Charter of the United Nations.
        Dr. Leopoldo Benites of Ecuador, the first Latin-American delegate to take part in the debate, insisted upon the principle of nonintervention but was careful not to take sides with either Cuba or the United States.