April 1, 1963

The Government moved today to enforce its policy of preventing Cuban refugees from using United States territory to organize or launch raids against Cuba. The Justice Department placed restrictions on 18 Cubans in the Miami area.

In some cases they were ordered not to leave Dade County, in which Miami is situated, and in others not to leave the United States.

The Department did not disclose the names of those restricted. Dispatches from Miami confirmed that some members of two exile groups already involved in raids had been given the restriction orders. These were the Alpha 66 and the Second Front of Escambray groups.

Violation of the orders, issued through the Immigration and Naturalization Service, could be enforced by arrest or deportation.

In its announcement yesterday that it planned to take "every step necessary" to prevent raids, the Government expressed sympathy for the anti-Castro cause. But it said it could tolerate no activities that might provoke reprisals against American forces.

Yesterday's announcement was made by the State and Justice Departments. It did not specify what the measures would be to guard against new hit-and-run attacks on Cuba. Today's action by the Justice Department revealed one step.

In addition, officials said, they expect the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Coast Guard to increase their surveillance of Cuban refugee circles, of the Florida coastline and the waters between the United States and Cuba.

It was understood that some of the small boats used by raiding groups had been tracked and might be seized in the next few days. The Coast Guard can challenge the seaworthiness of any vessel and presumably will check on suspicious craft by invoking this right.

Information available now about the two attacks on Soviet ships in Cuban ports in the last two weeks suggests that the raids were not launched from American soil, the Government said yesterday.

But its statement promised further investigation. The statement avoided the question of whether the expeditions were supplied with men or materials from the United States.

Some of the recent raids, it has been established, were launched from some of the smaller islands of the British Bahamas group. However, the participants did not live there and their expeditions almost certainly originated elsewhere.

American surveillance efforts will be coordinated with the British Government.

The Administration's dilemma was reflected in the careful wording of yesterday's statement. Washington fears that should the exile attacks continue, the Soviet Union and Cuba would be provoked to retaliate, either against American shipping in the Caribbean or against the Amercian reconnaissance planes that now fly over Cuba daily with impunity.

But because it has encouraged Cubans to work for the overthrow of Premier Fidel Castro, the Administration has hesitated to harass or take sanctions against the anti-Castro fighters.

However, the refugee raiders have been exceptionally resourceful in carrying through attacks that have damaged Soviet merchant ships in Cuban ports.

Because of this President Kennedy and his advisers have therefore decided to do everything possible to discourage and prevent continuation of the refugees' raids. The United States will not, however, take responsibility for events in Cuba or her territorial waters.

Following is the text of yesterday's statements by the State and Justice Departments:

"The position of the United States Government regarding hit-and-run attacks by Cuban refugee groups against Soviet ships and other targets in Cuba have been made perfectly clear by the President and Secretary of State. These attacks are neither supported nor condoned by this Government. The President has pointed out that they may have effects opposite to those presumably intended by those who carry them out; that is, they may strengthen the Soviet position in Cuba rather than weaken it, tighten Communist controls rather than loosen them."

"For preliminary evidence suggests that these raids have sot in fact been launched from the territory of the United States. However, the FBI and the Immigration and Naturalization Service, with the cooperation of the Coast Guard and Customs Service, are intensifying their investigations."

"We intend to take every step necessary to insure that such raids are not launched,' manned or equipped on United, States territory."

"The sympathy of this Government and the American people is with those Cubans who hope to see their country freed from Communist control. We understand that these raids reflect the deep frustration of men who want to get back to their homeland, to a Cuba that is independent."

"But this understanding does not mean that we are prepared to see our own laws violated with impunity or to tolerate activities which might provoke armed reprisals, the brunt of which would be borne by the armed forces of the United States."