By Sue Anne Pressley
                  Washington Post Staff Writer
                  Wednesday, January 6, 1999; Page A03

                  MIAMI, Jan. 5—For the many Cuban Americans here who view any
                  easing of U.S. restraints against Cuba as a triumph for President Fidel
                  Castro, the Clinton administration's announcement today allowing more
                  U.S. travel and cash into Cuba was a reason to breathe easier: At least,
                  they said, President Clinton stopped short of naming a formal commission
                  to review overall policy toward the communist government.

                  Hard-liners had feared that such a commission would threaten strict trade
                  embargoes the United States has had in place against Cuba for the past 36
                  years. For that reason, they fought hard to discourage the administration
                  from embarking on any reevaluation despite support for the idea from 24
                  senators from both parties and some Cuban Americans outside the
                  generally conservative Miami exile organizations.

                  "The hard-liners have been able to shoot the commission out of the water,"
                  said Max Castro, a senior research associate at the North-South Center at
                  the University of Miami, who is no relation to the Cuban leader. "The
                  commission symbolized the prospect of big, big changes."

                  As things stand, the hard-liners still fear that any additional money that
                  flows into the island will only benefit Castro and his government. But as
                  always, reactions here in the nation's largest, most active and most
                  vociferous Cuban American community were suspicious, divided and hotly
                  debated as residents tried to decipher what the changes really mean and
                  who in the homeland will benefit the most.

                  "I think this is a little bit for everybody, a carrot for everybody," said Jaime
                  Suchlicki, a professor of international relations at the University of Miami
                  and author of the book "Cuba From Columbus to Castro."

                  "For the hard-liners, it means no commission and more money for TV
                  Marti and Radio Marti," the U.S.-funded stations beaming to Cuba, he
                  added. "For the Cuban Americans, it means more travel to Cuba and more
                  money to Cuba. It may encourage more independence for economic
                  groups. But it's not going to bring about any political changes, because
                  Castro is not willing to provide any political changes."

                  Although the Miami area's Cuban American community of more than
                  600,000 is not monolithic, Suchlicki said, the hard-line view still prevails,
                  despite the death last year of its most powerful leader, Jorge Mas Canosa
                  of the Cuban American National Foundation. This is true, he explained,
                  despite a belief by some that the younger generation is not as passionate
                  about Cuba as the older warriors who have vivid memories of life before
                  Castro's 1959 revolution.

                  A poll taken last year by Florida International University showed that 72
                  percent of those surveyed favor the tough, no-concessions approach,
                  Suchlicki said, and observations in his own classrooms have convinced him
                  that anti-Castro sentiment knows no age limits.

                  "I have students who are more radical, more hard-line than many of the old
                  people," he said. "They're frustrated there are no changes in Cuba. Some
                  say, 'We'd like to go bomb Fidel.' "

                  As the White House unveiled its revamped policy today, Clinton
                  emphasized that the measures "are designed to help the Cuban people
                  without strengthening the Cuban government."

                  They involve an expansion of person-to-person contact: direct-mail
                  service, more direct charter flights to Cuba and the sale of agricultural
                  supplies and food to nongovernmental bodies such as religious groups,
                  restaurants and independent farmers. Until now, commercial exports to
                  Cuba have been banned.

                  The new measures also would increase the flow of money by allowing any
                  U.S. resident to send up to $1,200 a year to Cuban families and
                  nongovernmental groups; presently, only Cuban Americans can send
                  money to relatives there.

                  In an apparent attempt to duplicate the "Ping Pong diplomacy" toward
                  China in the 1970s, the United States also would allow the Baltimore
                  Orioles to play two exhibition baseball games against the Cuban national
                  team this spring, providing none of the proceeds make it to Castro's
                  coffers.

                  But some exile groups questioned how it will be possible to keep
                  American money away from Castro. Jorge Mas Jr., who is vice chairman
                  of his late father's Cuban American Foundation, said that his group,
                  although satisfied that the commission has been scotched, has serious
                  concerns about the sale of food and medicines to Cuba.

                  "There is no private sector in Cuba and there are no independent
                  nongovernmental organizations in Cuba," he said.

                  U.S. attempts to reach out to Cuba in recent years had been thwarted by
                  several dramatic political episodes, including the mass exodus of more than
                  30,000 Cuban refugees to South Florida in 1994 and Cuba's shooting
                  down in February 1996 of four unarmed planes operated by a
                  Miami-based pro-democracy group, Brothers to the Rescue.

                  Momentum has picked up again with two highly symbolic events -- Pope
                  John Paul II's historic visit to Cuba last year and the recent celebration of
                  Christmas on the island. Meanwhile, Castro, 72, celebrated the 40th
                  anniversary of his takeover on New Year's Day.

                  Jose Basulto, leader of Brothers to the Rescue, remained unimpressed by
                  Clinton's initiatives and was scathing in his assessment of the president's
                  motives. "This is another one of those cosmetic announcements the Clinton
                  administration makes for political purposes," he said.

                  At Miami radio station WCMQ, the Clinton-Castro question was the
                  major topic for hundreds of callers, said Tomas Regalado, a Miami city
                  commissioner who also is director of the Spanish news station. The callers
                  were glad there will be no commission, he said, but "skeptical because
                  once again, the president tried to please everyone.
 

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