If Political Action fails

Says Risks of Inaction Are Great

WASHINGTON - Former Vice President Richard M. Nixon Saturday called for unleashing the Cuban exiles and, if necessary, a U.S. invasion of Cuba to force the withdrawal of Soviet troops.

"The United States cannot for too long a time sit on this powder keg and say to the Cuban exiles, in effect, we are going to quarantine you rather than quarantine Castro," Nixon said.

He spoke at a luncheon meeting of the American Society of Newspaper Editors and afterward answered questions from the floor.

Nixon said the time has come for "a command decision to do whatever is necessary to force the removal of the Soviet beachhead" in Cuba.

He was asked if that meant he favored an invasion of Cuba or reimposing a blockade.

Nixon replied that he was in favor of doing whatever is necessary, including an invasion or blockade if political and economic pressures failed to bring about the desired results.

Nixon said a fundamental change is needed in the U.S. policy toward the Cuban exiles and their hit-and-run raids.

The first step, he said, is for the government to indicate that the U.S. is going to support revolutionary forces designed to restore freedom in any country occupied by a foreign power.

Once this is done, Nixon said, "We can assist them openly." He added this country will have to take the consequences of whatever action the freedom fighters might engage in, but he said the risk would be even greater if we "leash them."

Nixon said Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev's position in Cuba "is firmer today than a year ago."

"The United States cannot tolerate the continued existence of a Soviet military and subversive base 90 miles from our shore," he said. "The administration claims that there are risks involved . . . I am convinced that the risks of inaction are far greater than the risks of action."

In a slashing attack on Administration policies, Nixon said:

"In Cuba we have goofed an invasion, paid tribute to Castro for the prisoners, then given the Soviets squatters rights in our backyard.

We have courageously dared a blockade to keep the peace, withdrew a blockade to avoid a war, pledged the Cuban exiles that their flag would fly in Havana, then pledged ourselves not to re-invade, then offered the exiles service in our armed forces which are forbidden to invade, then instituted aerial surveillance to determine whether or not we need to invade."

In his indictment of Kennedy policies, Nixon disavowed that any "appeasement" might be involved in the President's negotiations with Khrushchev on Cuba.

"This is not a policy of appeasement," Nixon said, "But it is a policy of containment and because it is essentially defensible in character, it is doomed to failure.

"We can regain the initiative only by adopting a strategy of victory for freedom to meet the strategy of victory for communism."

Nixon told the editors that military assistance ought to be cut off for all nations that are not "firmly committed to the side of freedom."

Pointing to what he called the "disarray" in the Atlantic Alliance, the former vice president urged that this country take the lead in expanding NATO from a military alliance to a political confederation with the primary objective of developing "a unified and total defense strategy."

Nixon also condemned "gimmickery" in administration proposals to share nuclear weapons with Europe without sharing control.

Answering some political questions, Nixon had this to say:

-He does not intend to be a future candidate for office.

-He believes the Republican candidate next year can defeat President Kennedy by campaigning largely on the same issues Kennedy used in 1960. This time, Nixon said, Kennedy "will be on the defensive."

-It is too early to predict who the GOP candidate will be. Nixon said the candidate will have to prove himself by entering pre-convention primaries.

Earlier, Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara told the editors that the free world's offensive striking force had been built up dramatically in secret over the past two years.

The increases included a doubling in the number of nuclear warheads in the U.S.'s strategic alert forces. Those units consist largely of B52 bombers, Minuteman missiles and Polaris missiles.

McNamara said the U.S. has increased by 60 per cent the tactical nuclear force committed by NATO.

At a Saturday breakfast poll the majority of the editors believed that Rockefeller will be the 1964 Republican presidential nominee.

The poll showed 66 votes for Rockefeller, 19 for Goldwater; 9 for Gov. George Romney of Michigan.; 3 to Gov. William Scranton of Pennsylvania; 2 for Richard Nixon, and one for Sen. Strom Thurmond. a Democrat, of South Carolina.

The editors agreed by an 80 to 12 vote that President Kennedy will be renominated.

In other convention highlights, the editors chose Herbert Brucker, editor of The Hartford (Conn.) Courant, as its new president. Brucker moves up from first vice president to succeed Lee Hills, executive editor of The Miami Herald and other Knight newspapers.