 It's time for the Lone Gene Chronoscope, a television journal of the important issues of the hour brought to you every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, a presentation of the Lone Gene Wittner Watch Company, maker of Lone Gene, the world's most honored watch, and Wittner, distinguished companion to the world-honored Lone Gene. Good evening. This is Frank Knight. May I introduce our co-editors for this edition of the Lone Gene Chronoscope? Edward P. Morgan and Larry Lusser, both of the CBS television news staff. Our distinguished guest for this evening is the Honorable Dr. Carlos Evia, well-known Cuban statesman. Senior Dr. Evia, I think it's only fair to warn you, sir, that Larry Lusser and I are going to feel free to ask you a variety of questions, not only about Cuba, but Latin America in general, because we discover not only have you held high office in the Cuban government from provisional president on down, but that you were a graduate of our Naval Academy at Annapolis, so that you have a sympathy for the and an experience with the American, the North American point of view. Harvard must be said, I suppose, that we North Americans can become very careless in our relationships and our attention to the problems and other matters of concern of our neighbors, and it's probably not an exaggeration to state that we often think of Cuba as the home of the Rumba, the Conga, and Ernest Hemingway, and perhaps, of course, sugar, and not much more. We learn, however, very very recently that the situation as regards politics and economics is intense, to say the least. Will you comment on that for us now, and give us a description of your version of the situation? I'd be very glad to. The situation in Cuba today is that of a dictatorship. And it follows the cycle when the evil that is produced when a democratic process is destroyed. The Cuban Constitution was suspended, Congress dissolved, and instead of the constitutional government, a dictatorship was established. The situation in Cuba today is that every newspaper and every radio has censored. A law has been passed that is like a public order and creates crimes under which even once the censors are taken from the newspaper that would be a mockery of the freedom of the press. And in defense of the Cuban newspaper men, I'm glad to say that they have not accepted this censorship without a protest, and that today most important papers do not publish editorials and columnists are not writing. They're just publishing wires and news as a protest on that situation in Cuba. There are more than 600 people in prison. There is a great movement to recover freedom of Cuba. That creates that the dictator has to increase the repressive measures. That also affects the economy of the country because it's impossible to establish and develop an economy unless you have a fundamental law. That's what is called the Constitution of a country. Well, now you're getting in the economy of the country in any country. You're getting down to the touchy, the sensitive situation, the pocketbook. Perhaps we can take that as our point of departure. Why should Americans be interested in Cuba from that point of view? Well, from that point of view, Cuba is the second largest dollar market for American exporters. Today, Cuba in 1951 bought about $550 million from the United States. In 1952, after this garrison revolt, it began to go down, even though the sugar was larger, the sugar crop. And in 1953, the first four months indicated a drop of 30% in the Cuban's ability to buy, mainly due to this strained economic situation produced by the lack of guarantees for everybody. Well, Dr. Evilla, if the dictatorship is actually hurting Cuba's economic situation, how would you say Cuba could get rid of this dictatorship? Would it take another coup d'etat to do it? Well, Cuba can only become a stable country again if we put back or establish again the Cuban Constitution. This is not a question of personalities, but a question of principles. And everybody, those who live in Cuba, the 6 million Cubans and the Americans who sell products in Cuba, or the Americans who do business in Cuba, have the same common interest in having a peaceful, democratic, stable country. Now, the only way to obtain that is to bring back into force the Cuban Constitution. Now, the overpowering population of Cuba, the whole will of the people, is to bring back that Constitution. Whether that will be by coup d'etat, by a revolt, by the dictator fleeing the country, by any other thing, I do not know, but I am quite sure that everybody in Cuba is doing their utmost to put in force the Cuban Constitution. Well, with the decline in trade in Cuba and from your vantage point in Miami as an exile, do you see any tendencies towards anti-Americanism coming out of the island? I don't think Cuba has always been very friendly to the United States, because there are many historical links. The United States and the Cubans have always fought together. We, as independents, have fought three wars, are a war of independence that you call that the Spanish-American War, that you have the link with all of the explosion of the main, General Garcia, the famous message to Garcia and every body studies here. Then we were your allies in the First World War and the Second World War. Cuba do not have a feeling against the United States and much less against the American people. Well, Dr. Evia, we should pin things down a little bit more specifically, perhaps. We've been talking about the present regime in Cuba and obviously we're referring you in terms of dictatorship to the regime of General Batista, who retook the government by coup d'etat and when was it, March of last year? March 1952. Now, rightly or wrongly, I suspect that many Americans think of Batista as the anonymous army clerk who, after the Machado dictatorship in 33, suddenly came to power and there may be a certain sentimental attachment to the man. You have your opinions on the other side. What would you say was his motive? What is he driving for? Well, I don't know at this moment what his motive could be. I think when he took the government in 1952 by a garrison revolt in the middle of the night, you see, we were 80 days from one election. Batista was a senator and a presidential candidate. There were three candidates in the field. I was one of them. I was just going to say you were a candidate. I was a candidate for the president. Another one, the second candidate was Dr. Agra Monti and Batista was the third candidate. He didn't have a chance to win at all and he was a senator. Now, the same week that the political convention nominated the candidates, this revolt took place. Now, in my opinion, he did it because he couldn't win in a democratic way. Now, today, his position is that he has everybody against him and he is forced to repress and to apply violence every day more. Now, that's the cycle of tyranny. It's a vicious cycle. Dr. Agra, your favorite trait of military dictators is to raise the threat of communism. Do you think there is a threat of communism in Cuba now? Well, I think the threat of communism is produced by the dictator himself because when you take the liberties of the people and create a bad economic situation, that's a breathing ground for communism. On the other hand, the communist party had dropped down between 1948 and 1951 from 150,000 members to 55,000 members. That shows that the atmosphere of democracy, of full liberty is asphyxiating to the communist. Now, that doesn't mean that all those people probably didn't want to be communist anymore. They probably went into other parties. As they did, they infiltrated greatly Batista's party and through him, they are in the government. Dr. Evia, in a contentious and possibly explosive situation of this kind, we must do our very best to be candid. Washington, from all the reports that we can get, doesn't betray any particular anxiety, outwardly at least the State Department or the Eisenhower administration about the Batista regime, although the New York Times recently made a very sharp editorial against General Batista. On the contrary, there is information that Washington officially is concerned about the possibility of Cubans against Batista trying to buy arms. Does that mean that getting back to Larry's question that there is likely to be an attempted insurrection or something of that kind? Well, there's no question about that. There will be attempts of insurrection in Cuba as long as the Cubans are not free. Quickly, a final question and broadening it out a bit. You've had a great deal of experience with Latin American-American relations. What would be your recipe for better relations between Washington and Latin America? I think as a Cuban, I'm going to speak is what I know. I think it is necessary to understand that a Latin America or a Cuban is a human being who wants to be free and to increase his standard of living. But both things have to be together, to understand the normal aspirations to live in a democratic and free way, and the normal aspirations to increase their well-being. Both things have to be taken together. Thank you very much, Dr. Avio. The opinions that you've heard our speakers express tonight have been entirely their own. The editorial board for this edition of the Long Jean Chronoscope was Edward P. Morgan and Larry LaServe, both of the CBS television news star. Our distinguished guest was the Honorable Dr. Carlos Evia, well-known Cuban statesman. This year again, as four years past, the official watch for timing the great American air classic, the Cleveland Air Races, is Long Jean, the world's most honored watch. Now, the Long Jean watch is employed for timing these air races conformed to the exacting standards of accuracy specified by the National Aeronautic Association for Timing Aviation World Records. Now, few watches in the world can meet these standards. 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Long Jean, the world's most honored watch, the world's most honored gift, premier product of the Long Jean Witner Watch Company since 1866, maker of watches of the highest character. We invite you to join us every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday evening at this same time for the Long Jean Chronoscope, a television journal of the important issues of the hour, broadcast on behalf of Long Jean, the world's most honored watch, and Witner, distinguished companion to the world-honored Long Jean. This is Frank Knight, reminding you that Long Jean and Witner watches are sold and serviced from coast to coast by more than 4,000 leading jurors who proudly display this emblem. Agency for Long Jean Witner Watch Youth Take a Stand Tuesday nights on the CBS television network.