Speech #870159798

Mr. President. as a former vice president of the International Rescue Committee and a person who was deeply involved with Hungarian refugees. I have. naturally. followed closely the efforts of our Government and various voluntary agencies to assist Cuban refugees. In this connection. I recall the magnificent response which America made toward the victims of the Hungarian revolution. In contrast. I wonder how many of us are fully acquainted with the fact that the United States is the country of first sanctuary for 110.000 escapees from Castros regimethree times the number of Hungarian refugees which we received. Mr. President. aside from the important humanitarian considerations involved. it is politically imperative that greater efforts be made to assist Cuban refugees. Last week. we all followed the actions taken by the Punta del Este Conference. As we all know. the United States took the leadership in urging other nations of the Americas to bar Cuba from the activities of the OAS. Thus. at this time. it is all the more appropriate that we take renewed cognizance of the 110.000 victims of the Castro regime and renew our determination to insure that they receive more adequate assistance. Last December. the Senate Subcommittee on Refugees and Escapees. under the able leadership of the distinguished Senator from Michigan conducted a series of penetrating hearings which shed a great deal of light on the conditions of the Cuban refugees in this country. I am hopeful that the committees recommendations. which I understand will soon be forthcoming. will receive prompt and favorable consideration. At this time. I also ask unanimous consent that a letter to the editor of the New York Times. signed by Mr. William Vanden Heuvel. the president of the International Rescue Committee. which appeared in the New York Times on January 17. 1962. and an article on the Cuban refugee problem by Mr. Philip S. Cook. which appeared in the New York Herald Tribune on January 23. 1962. be inserted in the RECORD.