January 16, 1957.p. 16.
Special to The New York Times.
HAVANA, Jan. 15—The prospects for peace in the Caribbean have brightened considerably with the surprising rapprochement of Cuba and the Dominican Republic.
Just what has occurred is still an official secret, but the Cuban people have been astonished by the unexpected manifestations of friendship between the two countries.
Information from reliable sources indicated the start of the rapprochement followed efforts of friends of President Fulgencio Batista and Generalismo Rafael Leonidas Trujillo, Dominican dictator, outside diplomatic circles and later progressed through regular channels.
The relations between Cuba and the Dominican Republic were strained during the Cuban Administration of Dr. Ramon Grau San Martin and Dr. Carlos Prio Socarras.It was during the Grau regime in 1947 that Dominican refugees aided by Cubans prepared an invasion of the Dominican Republic.The United States intervened and persuaded the Grau regime to halt the expedition.
When President Batista took over the Cuban Government by a military coup in March, 1952, relations between the two countries improved slightly.But General Batista, aware of the feeling of the Cuban public against General Trujillo, rejected the overture of friendship.
About a year ago the Dominican Army Chief, Gen. Hermida, accused the Cuban Chief of Staff, Gen. Francisco Tabernilla, of having supplied arms and ammunition to Dominican exiles for an attack against the Dominican Republic.
When rebellion broke out in Oriente Province early in December and an expedition landed in the province, a Cuban official declared the Cuban Government had information the Trujillo regime was behind the movement.Although the rebellion was suppressed, a terroristic campaign was immediately begun by enemies of the Batista Government.
Constitutional Guarantees were suspended today throughout Cuba for forty-five days by President Batista to combat the terroristic campaign.
On Dec. 28 the Minister of Agriculture, Fidel Barreto, announced he had been invited by the Dominican Republic to attend a cattle exposition there and had accepted. The cattle industry immediately shipped prize cattle to the exhibition.
On Jan. 10 Minister of State Dr. Gonzalo Guell said the invitation “would undoubtedly contribute to strengthen the bonds of traditional friendship between the two countries.”
WASHINTON, Jan. 15—The State Department is puzzling but pleased by the sudden burst of goodwill between Cuba and the Dominican Republic.
According to reports to the State Department, the two Governments halted all press and radio attacks on each other about Dec. 20.
According to one report reaching the State Department, Senator George A. Smathers, Democrat of Florida, helped bring about the reconciliation during a recent tour of the Caribbean.
The differences between the two countries stem from their rivalry for shares of the United States sugar market.
HAVANA, Jan. 15—Censorship of the press and radio was established throughout Cuba today.
Foreign correspondents were ordered to submit their dispatches to censors prior to transmission.The Ministry of the Interior appointed censors for each newspaper and radio station.
The censorship came after the suspension of constitutional guarantees for forty-five days by President Fulgencio Batista.The measure, expected to be approved by Congress tomorrow, was taken to combat a terroristic campaign now going on in the island and to protect the sugar harvest, a Presidential decree said.