-DATE- 19590313 -YEAR- 1959 -DOCUMENT_TYPE- INTERVIEW -AUTHOR- F. CASTRO -HEADLINE- 4 HOUR TV APPEARANCE -PLACE- CUBA -SOURCE- FOREIGN SERVICE DESPATCH -REPORT_NBR- FBIS -REPORT_DATE- 19590313 -TEXT- Views of Fidel CASTRO on Relations with the United States, and on the Organization of American States; Prospects for Future Relations On February 19, 1959, Fidel CASTRO made a four hour appearance, from 10:30 in the evening until 2:30 the following morning, on a local television program called "Ante la Prensa" (freely translated as "Meet the Press"). Moderator of the Program was Nicolas BRAVO, and other members of the panel were Luis GOMEZ WANGUEMERT, Juan GONZALEZ Martinez, and Jose Luis MASO. Bravo is considered friendly toward the United States. Wanguemert is a Communist or fellow-traveller, and anti-American. The attitudes of Gonzalez and Maso are know know well enough for classification, but during the program Gonzalez appeared to be anti-American. In this, he was perhaps reflecting the tone set by Castro. Both Wanguemert and Gonzalez were exceptionally sycophantic during the program. Television in Cuba has very heavy coverage. There are some 330,000 sets, in a total population of around 6,300,000. Programs can be viewed throughout the country, which is linked by a complete net of relay stations. The program in question is one of the more popular ones, especially so since the beginning of the year when censorship ended and people in whom the public has great interest have appeared on it. It seems safe to assume that at least one million people, and probably more, saw all or most of the program. The program normally runs for a half hour or one hour, depending on the interest in the guest and the subject. In this case, Castro had agreed to appear only if he could have unlimited time, and he carried on for four hours. He was completely outspoken on any subject that came up. A variety of subjects was discussed, most of which he himself brought up. Several officers of the Embassy, including the writer, watched the program. For the use of interested offices of the Department, there is enclosed a transcript of the program supplied by a local radio-TV service. It appears to be an accurate version, taken from tape. Unfortunately, it is unable to capture the atmosphere of the program: Castro in his standard uniform of rumpled fatigues, radiating health and boundless energy, hunched over the table as he talks, waving arms and hands, with the eternal cigar always at hand. Words pour from him in a ceaseless torrent. He appears literally capable of talking forever, on any subject under the sun. He is a dynamic, forceful speaker, with that rare quality of fixing and swaying his audience regardless of the contents of his words. His language was careless and informal. He spoke with tremendous vitality and rapidity. -END-