59 April 1, 1960 Dear Tony (Stuhlreyer): ...I am sure that it will be hell and high water before we get our money out of Cuba, and the outstanding drafts we now have in Cuba will be held by the National Bank of Cuba indefinitely. The situation in Cuba is really bad and truly Anti-American; the Communist propaganda is wide open and there is no doubt the Communists are in control of all labor unions and all government offices. The Government has already taken 40 sugar factories, among them Guantanamo Sugar Company, Arechabala, España, and many others where we have equipment installed. I predict that before the year is over, they will expropriate at least 80 percent of all industry and business, and that soon everything in Cuba will be government operated. There is no reason to believe that we could sell anything in Cuba for an indefinite time and I am convinced that as long as the present Government is in power, there could not be commercial relations and friendships of any kind between United States and Cuba. Cuba already has the look of a nation at war with militia drilling all over. Children uniformed. The militia going from door-to-door asking for contributions for arms and planes, and radio and TV stations blasting all day long with insulting propaganda against U.S. and in defense of the revolution. I was waiting to be out of Cuba to write to you because I am living in a country where letters are opened, telephone calls are tapped, where there are not individual guarantees, respect for property, liberty of private enterprise, and where all fundamentals of democratic living have been destroyed... Best Regards, Carles B. Rutz August 9, 1960 Dear Mr. Parker: We are sincerely having a tremendous bad political situation here without any signs of improvement whatsoever, worse now after the confiscation of all valuable American properties all over the country that you have probably read. All our good American friends are leaving the country with a tremendous fear of the propaganda that is taking place against U.S. It surely is a “brain washing” to the Cuban people with such an unjust proceeding against Americans. The fact is that everything good that Cuba had, was done by honest hard cooperation of the Americans. On this consideration the fact is that all private property that was built honestly is to be confiscated regardless the nationality of the owners, including Cubans. This situation is bound to get worse... E. F. (Henry) Echenique 59