Speech #880255929

Mr. President. I believe that all of us were sickened and dismayed by the photographs in this mornings papers which showed Cuban refugees. who had come to Washington to demonstrate for the freedom of their country being pushed around and chased by our mounted police. Here were people whose objectives accorded with the expressed policy of the United States. and who were by every standard entitled to our sympathy and consideration. And yet they were treated like enemies or subversives rather than like friends. Whatever the reason for the clash between the Cuban refugees and the Washington police force. I consider yesterdays events to be most unfortunate because they could only have served to create the impression that Washington is unsympathetic to the antiCastro refugees and what they stand for. I 1964 CO] know that this is not the case. But sometimes the impression created by the clumsy handling of a situation such as this can count for more than the actual facts.