4 U.S. Mining Men and Canadian Flown to Guantanamo Base--Castro Is Said to Plan Release of All Men Held

By Peter Kihss
Special to The New York Times

GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba, July 2--The Cuban rebels released five kidnapped North Americans today.  Those freed included four United States citizens and a Canadian national.

At the time of the release they were freeing the five pending further negotiation with United States officials.

At his news conference, President Eisenower said the United States would use every effort "to get live Americans" back from every point where they were being detained.

A Cuban short-wave broadcast, heard here, said Fidel Castro, rebel chief, planned the release of all the North American captives, who include twenty-nine servicemen from the Guantanamo base.

The first free North Americans to arrive at the United States naval base here by a Navy helicopter were Edward Cannon, 52 years old, of Cornwall, Ont.; Henry Salmonson, 46, of Portland, Ore., and William H. Koster, 63, of Akron, Ohio.

The Navy helicopter took off and returned with Howard Roach, 31, of Watertown, N.Y.; Coral Gables, Fla.; and Park Wollam, the United States consul who dealt with the rebels.

Immediately after his arrival here, Mr. Wollam made a telephone call to Earl E. T. Smith, United States Ambassador in Havana.  Mr. Wollam later flew to Havana to report to Mr. Smith directly.

The five men released were captured Thursday night at the Moa Bay Nickel mining project, on the north coast of Oriente Province, by ninety rebels.  They said later that six rebels had been killed four hours later in a Cuban Army ambush.

The released men said the kidnappings had been made to call world attention to the continued organized revolt here, to spread word that the Cuban Army and Air Force allegedly had been using United States arms and bombs against the rebels and to enforce a demand that the United States end alleged military assistance to the Havana Government.

While Mr. Wollam reached the rebels' headquarters last Saturday, he was not able to start a conference with Raul Castro, until 4 P.M. yesterday, some of the released civilians said the parley went on until 1:30 A.M. today, the released men reported.

Raul Castro is the younger brother of Fidel Castro, who started the Cuban revolt in December, 1956.  Each brother is leading an independent forced.

Mr. Cannon said Raul Castro issued an order a couple of days ago to stop the kidnappings of North Americans.  Communications in the rebel area are poor, however, so the word may have been delayed, the Canadian said.

The released men appeared to have been favorably impressed by the Castro forces.  Mr. Koster, who was kidnapped only on the forth day after his arrival in Cuba, said "these people are fighting for freedom."

The released men said they had been well treated and even had received liquor although the Castro forces practiced abstinence.  They asserted that Castro unites had either paid for or left receipts for supplies they carried off.

Mr. Cannon said he believed Raul Castro commanded more than 10,000 men, although non of the prisoners reported having seen more than 500 at any one time.

The released men said they had been split up in groups for their own safety in case of attacks by Cuban Army Forces.

Four of the men were held together and were joined today by Mr. Chamberlain, who was freed because he was suffering from migraine headaches, the released men reported.  Mr. Chamberlain said fellow prisoners left behind were Eugene Pfeider, a professor at the University of Minnesota; Jack Schisler and Roman Cecilet.

HAVANA, July 2 (AP)--One of the freed men, the Canadian engineer, Edward Cannon, said Raul Castro promised no more foreigners would be kidnapped.

Henry Salmonson, 46-year-old engineer who has a wife and three children living in Portland, Ore., told of the rebels' propagandizing in these words:

"They told us that bombs made in America were being used against them by the Cuban Government.  They showed us what they said were bomb fragments and also pointed out some huts that had been destroyed by fire."

Otherwise, he said, the rebels took them swimming and on happy hours of the wilderness.  He reported food and beds were good.

Howard Roache of Watertown, N.Y., said he and his fellow captives received excellent treatment during their stay.  They first moved from place to place, he said, then were kept at a coffee plantation from Saturday until today.  They said they did not know where the plantation was located.

Asked if the rebels appeared to be well fed, Mr. Roache said:  "I didn't see one fat one."  He said the insurgents allowed him to write a cablegram to his wife, Eleanor, in Watertown and promised to send it.

In a brief statement at the Guantanamo base airfield, Mr. Wollam said:  "I saw quite a number of the people taken on my trip through the hills.  They are all fine and in good health.  They are scattered in small groups through the area.  We hope to complete arrangements to bring out more of them shortly."