DISPLAYS INDEPENDENT POSITION
While visiting Algeria in July, Che Guevara indicated the neutrality of Cuba's revolutionary leadership in the dispute between Moscow and Peking. The split he said, "brings nothing good to the revolutionary movement, but we shall not say who is right in this conflict because we are small."
Since then the Cuban government has gone to the unusual length of delaying to sign the test-ban treaty. This tactic has placed Cuba conspicuously beside China, North Vietnam, North Korea and Albania. Even though the Cubans were now to sign the treaty, the Gelay is sufficient to indicate that they are not exactly Khrushchevites.
As further indications of the real views in Havana, it is worth noting that the Cuban press and radio have refrained from praising or even ciscussing the test-ban treaty. At a meeting of United States students touring Cuba in August, Guevara told the ‘visitors that the Soviet-Chinese rift was "one of the saddest events for us." He said that Cuban students were right in refusing to discuss the differences with then,
A short-wave radio appeal by Juan Marinello for international support for the test-ban treaty was not reported in the Cuban press, Marinello is a former leader of the Cuban Communist party - now rector of the University of Eavana.
On September 10, Fidel Castro told an Associated Press correspondent in Havana that the Cuban government was still not ready to sign. "This is an important decision. . . and we are not ready yet to make up our minds. We are taking into account the current world situetion, which of course involves the Caribbean situation, which has been dcteriorating the last few days due to piratical attacks by the United States against the Cuban people."
- Ca .Stro said: that world affairs "had scemced to be enteting a more peaceful climate a few days ago, but this trefd hes changed with the attacks."
As if in response to this declaration, the September l2 Pravda printed an erticle on recent air attacks on Cuba which began by praising the tcst~-ban treaty and dcclaring, "The world public awaits from all governments further steps, normalizing the situation, rolaxing international tonsion and strengthening peace."
The article argucd that Cuba's best hone in the face of U. S. aggression was the test-ban treaty and Sovict military strength,
The article again called attention to the Sovict promise to defend Cuban independence and said that thceiSoviet government. would "act on its word in case of an aggression against Cuba."
While the Cuban leaders refrain from praising the test~ban treaty, they have not refrained from continuing to appeal to the peoples of Latin America to follow.the example of Cuba in overturning capitalism and taking the road to socialism, This continues to be the main policy on which they rest the defense of their country and its revolutionary gains.
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