-DATE- 19730227 -YEAR- 1973 -DOCUMENT_TYPE- SPEECH -AUTHOR- F. CASTRO -HEADLINE- CASTRO MARKS RADIO REBELDE ANNIVERSARY -PLACE- CUBA -SOURCE- HAVANA DOMESTIC SVC -REPORT_NBR- FBIS -REPORT_DATE- 19730226 -TEXT- FIDEL CASTRO MARKS RADIO REBELDE ANNIVERSARY Havana Domestic Service in Spanish 1130 GMT 27 Feb 73 F [Text] Commander in Chief Fidel Castro participated in the program carried last night by radio and television stations on the occasion of the 15th anniversary of the founding of the guerrilla station Radio Rebelde. In his speech, Maj Fidel Castro referred to the interest shown by Maj Che Guevara and his efforts in creating the rebel station at a time when they [the rebels] held a rather unsecured territory. Fidel told how after hard work he was able to tune in the station at a distance of about 200 meters and how (?anxious) he was to find out if Radio Rebelde was heard beyond the distance. Fidel referred to his first participation in Radio Rebelde which took place after the April strike. On this subject, Fidel pointed out: "You all know that the strike was a setback for the revolution and at the time the enemy was becoming bolder and the population's spirits were low." Fidel explained that he had anticipated that by this time Radio Rebelde would have an audience and that his objective was to raise the spirits of the people; he explained that even though they had suffered a defeat in the strike and in the many military operations that had taken place in the Sierra Maestra at different fronts the enemy had also suffered several defeats. Elsewhere in his speech, Fidel pointed out that during the offensive the radio station was moved to La Plata region where it was near the general headquarters of the rebel army, thus making it possible for Radio Rebelde to remain on the air throughout the offensive. Fidel affirmed: "It can be said that Radio Rebelde gradually became such an important element that it had to be considered a strategic objective by the enemy and, at the same time, one of the locations that we had to defined with greater energy." After referring to the importance given to the hospital that was already operating in the Sierra Maestra, the mine and grenade factory and Radio Rebelde, Fidel explained how Radio Rebelde remained as the focal point of all the battles. In his speech, Fidel pointed out how all military communiques reporting the situation and the battles and skirmishes that were taking place on all fronts were transmitted by the station, and because of that the revolution has been able to record in its archives a large number of documents that reflect the happenings in detail. Fidel said: "Radio Rebelde truly became our means of mass communication for reaching the people, and it later became a radio station with a very high rating." Subsequently, Fidel pointed out that the basic principle of the station was that it never lied, it never exaggerated and that the results of every military action were reported with absolute veracity. Fidel referred to the fact that Radio Rebelde not only was a means of reporting the news but also was the best means of communicating with the rebel troops. Fidel underscored that Radio Rebelde was a very important center for military communications in addition to being the means of mass communication which played an outstanding political role throughout the war. He said Radio Rebelde reported to the people on circumstances during decisive, very important times. In closing, Commander Chief Fidel Castro stated: "We consider it very fitting to always remember the role played by Radio Rebelde and the role played by the comrades who worked in this station from the beginning and who remained with it during the difficult days of the war. It is also fitting that we pay tribute to Che's insight when, during difficult times, at a time when we barely had an established territory, he began to work for the founding of this station." During last night's program, several founding members of the station discussed all the events leading to its emergence and its activities during the war. -END-