Plank Approves America's Breaking Of Diplomatic Relations With Cuba

Faculty opinion was mixed on the wisdom of yesterday's severance of diplomatic relations with Cuba. John N. Plank '45, instructor in Government, termed President Eisenhower's move "a pretty legitimate thing to do," while Luigi R. Einaudi and Nadav Safran, instructors in Government, criticized the Administration's decision.

Plank agreed with the President's assertion that the Cuban order to cut the American embassy staff was an attempt to force the U.S. to break relations. He stated that in itself the severance of relations was less important than Kennedy's refusal to associate himself with the policy: "Kennedy and Rusk are leaving the way open for policy changes."

"We seem to be basing our policy on some effuse concept of national dignity," Einaudi criticized. If Castro has been seeking the breaking of diplomatic relations, he commented, "I see no reason to react with a policy that does just what he wanted us to do in the first place."

Eisenhower's reference to the "historic friendship" between Cuba and the United States was ill-advised, Einaudi felt, since "it is the historic situation between the two countries that Castro has been attacking."

Einaudi and Safran, both members of the "Fair Play for Cuba" committee, felt that Eisenhower's move would handicap Kennedy. "Eisenhower should have held the line for at least sixteen days," Einaudi commented. Safran maintained that the move would tie Kennedy's hands and was therefore "unforgivable" at this time.

Safran emphasized the poor timing of the Administration's reprisal, referring to "indications that Cuba was beginning to make conciliatory, or at least half-conciliatory statements." He foresaw no dramatic change in policy by the Kennedy administration "but the possibility of a slow, gradual modification which would stop the situation from deteriorating further."

All three instructors agreed that yesterday's developments would have little effect on the American position concerning the military base at Guantanamo Bay. Plank, referring to himself "as a strong believer in our getting out of there," suggested that the base could be transformed to a hemispheric university under the auspices of all 21 states.

Plank maintained an optimistic view-point despite the severance of diplomatic relations. "We are going to see more and more countries in the hemisphere disassociating themselves from Castro," he predicted, adding, "Castro will not be in power much longer."