-DATE-
19601031
-YEAR-
1960
-DOCUMENT_TYPE-
SPEECH
-AUTHOR-
F. CASTRO
-HEADLINE-
GRADUATION CEREMONY OIF CADET SCHOOL
-PLACE-
MANAGUA
-SOURCE-
HAVANA RADIO CENTRO
-REPORT_NBR-
FBIS
-REPORT_DATE-
19601031
-TEXT-
CASTRO:  MILITIA SUPPLIED WITH NEW ARMS

Havana, Radio Centro, in Spanish to Cuba, Oct. 29, 1960, 1630 GMT--E

(Speech by Premier Fidel Castro at graduation ceremony of Cadet School in
Managua)

(Summary) Ladies and gentlemen!  Today the first graduation of officers of
the Rebel Army is taking place about two years after the triumph of the
revolution.  The road has been long and difficult.  We have been able to
graduate cadets today as a result of the efforts of a group of honest
soldiers who brought their experience and knowledge to the revolution.

It was not easy to select candidates for the school.  Many youths wanted to
enter the school in order to serve their country, but some had an erroneous
concept of what it means to be an officer in the Rebel Army.  Today's
graduates are the products of selectivity.  They have taken difficult
tests, and have finally achieved their goal.

It is far from easy to be a revolutionary soldier or officer.  It is an
honor, but it also requires sacrifice, risk, and effort.  We visited their
academy a while ago and expressed our view that officers should have to
pass the hardest tests.  On that occasion, we told the militia chiefs that
we would soon go to the Sierra Maestre.  Today we have the satisfaction of
graduating a group of officers who not only learned from books and
lectures, but also learned to fulfill their duty in the difficult trials in
the mountains.

These officers can wear the insignia corresponding to their grade.  In
addition, together with the group of teachers of the school, they will
impart to others what they have learned.  They will lead militia units.
Very soon we will have more than 500 militia leaders who have been in
rigorous training for months.

Great masses of militiamen must be organized and disciplined to the hilt.
Masses of people must be trained, organized, and prepared.  This is a task
facing you graduates.  You are a small group, but you will teach others.
Each group will teach a larger group.  All together will then dedicate
themselves to teaching thousands of militiamen who are awaiting teachers.
(Applause)

We shall see what the reaction will be when they know about the heroic
Cuban people, the resistance we shall display; when they know that every
Cuban knows how to die at his post (Applause); when they know the firmness
with which we defend our land; when they know the honor with which the
liberators of Cuba defend all the oppressed peoples of the world.
(Applause)

We want our land to be our land.  (Applause)  What does it matter who
attacks?  We are calm, sure of our victory, because we have the motto of
"fatherland or death" and the certain knowledge that our people will win.
(Applause)

If we had technical knowledge when we fought, we would have had things
easier.  Now we are going to have technical knowledge so that the country
can be more secure, so that lives can be saved, and so that we can have
greater victories against our enemies.  (Applause)

Besides lacking technical knowledge, we used to lack arms.  Now, in
addition to all our qualities and abilities, we also have arms.
(Applause--Chanting of crowd).

(Editor's Note--While Castro gave no details, Ciudad Trujillo and Caracas
broadcasts asserted that Cuba is now the most powerfully armed nation in
the world for its size, with tanks, artillery, and jets from the USSR and
100,000 rifles and "great quantities" of 35 mm. machine guns from
Czechoslovakia.)

But the enemy knows this and he knows that with every passing day we are
organizing hundreds more men.  He knows that his hopes are daily becoming
more remote, and for this reason he is hurrying.  He is rushing to attack
before the tremendous force of the revolution develops.

The lowest passions have been playing a part in regard to the Cuban
problem.  The Cuban problem has become a central point of debate between
the groups who aspire to control the U.S. Government.  Shamefully,
cynically, both stupid monopolists (applause) have been preaching
aggression and intervention.  They do not respect the sovereignty of the
people.

Our island has been converted into an object of caprices and ambitions; our
island has been converted into an election issue.  And this is dangerous
because the group now in control, in its ruin, in its ambition, in
competition with others as ruined as they are, can turn our fatherland into
an object of aggression with the mad hope of satisfying the low interests
of groups which exploit the peoples.

And this is just one more reason for thinking about the imminence of the
attack, in these critical days before the elections--not that the days
after the elections will cease to be risky days as well, of course, nor
that the days following the inauguration of the new president will cease to
be risky days regardless of which of the two stupid men takes over the
presidency of imperialism.

They know that with every passing day it will be more difficult, that
they will need more mercenaries than they needed the day before.  They will
need more ships and planes, more camps.  It is more logical and intelligent
to attack now than later, in one, two, or three months.

If they err, let them.  If they rush into things, that is all right too.
It is not easy to recruit and train men.  We have fulfilled our duty to
reason by stating frankly that if it is soon, it will be worse.  It will be
worse for them later because we shall be stronger.  But what they have
cannot multiply from today till tomorrow.  What is important is what we
have.  (Applause)

We do not want to make too many observations concerning what they have.  We
simply believe that with what we have, we have enough.  (Applause)

Once we were in a situation in which 5,000 well-armed men, with planes,
artillery, supplies, and resources came to attack us.  We had only 300
armed men.  Most of them were poorly armed and had few bullets.  Even if we
had been completely destroyed we would have contributed something to our
country from the Sierra Maestre.  (Applause)  But the forces that were
destroyed were the 5,000 advancing on us.

This was not the first time we had to face adverse circumstance.  Once
there were fewer than 10 of us, facing the power of a government.  But we
knew we would win.  This was the Rebel Army.  Today new officers of the
same Rebel Army are graduating.  (Applause)  We always fought at a
disadvantage, but we won victory after victory.  We destroyed privileges.
We raised the flag over a sovereign and free country.  (Applause)  This
became the symbol of people who would not suffer humiliation, a
revolutionary people lighting the torch for the peoples of Latin America.
(Applause)

Our people will remain unchanged.  They will not abandon their work.  On
the contrary, the first thing to do is to continue production, continue
work.  We must warn the people about the dangers of citizens abandoning
their work.  Continue to work; that way we shall resist aggression.  At all
costs we must keep schools, factories, and national life functioning.  We
only need part of the people to combat the enemy.  (Applause)

The first duty in the face of aggression is to maintain equanimity.  Don't
despair.  Don't become impatient.  We must recall these words and continue
to work normally in any circumstances, in complete confidence that the
enemies who come will be destroyed.  (Applause)

We shall give greater impetus to our tasks of organization.  Ever in
combat, the organization of battalions should continue.  We must continue
to accelerate the rhythm of today.

With force, with solidarity, we will see what happens in America when they
attack us, directly or indirectly.  We shall see the reaction of the
peoples of America when they see that the heroic Cuban people are fighting
not only for themselves, but for all America.  (Applause)

We shall see what the reaction will be when they know about the heroic
Cuban people, the resistance we shall display; when they know that every
Cuban knows how to die at his post (Applause); when they know the firmness
with which we defend our land; when they know the honor with which the
liberators of Cuba defend all the oppressed peoples of the world.
(Applause)

We want our land to be our land.  (Applause) What does it matter who
attacks?  We are calm, sure of our victory, because we have the motto of
"fatherland or death" and the certain knowledge that our people will win.
(Applause)

-END-