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16 THE OSHAWA TIMES, Tuesdey, September 5, 1961 Refugees Still Rush From Cuba In this story Canadias Press reporter Jack Best recently returned from three-month assignment 4 Cuba, tells of the flight of refugees from the: country By JACK BEST Canadian Press Staff Writer Wags in Havana like to try the following riddle on visitors Cuba is an island. What would it be if it were linked to the mainland by an isthmus? To the inevitable reply, a penin sula, the wag retorts: "Wrong It would be a desert." The question-rand-answe e x- change is a wry commentary on an aspect of Cuban situation with which every visitor who has passed through Havana air port is familiar--the flight of refugees. Like East Germany, Cuba has been losing a steady stream of people unhappy about conditions in their homeland More than 100.000 people are believed to have gone to the United States in the last two years. Perhaps that many more have departed for other Latin American countries and Spain The flood shows no signs of abating CROWD FACILITIES Available means of transpor- tation are not nearly adequate to cope with the exodus "What Cuba needs," said a Havana resident, "is a Moses to open a path through the sur rounding waters." Only a handful of airlines stil operate into Havana, and the majority cf these have only one or two flights weekly. They fly tn such places as New York Mexico City, Madrid, Prague and the West Indies federation The principal carrier has been maintaining two flights daily to Miami. Reservations are said to he booked tight until well into next year Regular ship connections have eeased entirely. But there is a constant trickle of refugees making their way across the Strait of Florida in small fish- ing boats. Other small craft head for Jamalca Such vovages have to be planned and carried out sur- reptitiously since officially they are forbidden. Patrol boats ply coastal waters to try to infer- cept outward-bound small craft FACE DIFFICULTIES Those leaving the country now are mostly middle - and lower-middle class people. Some are well-to-do, but there is more than a smattering of laborers small farmers and fishermen Ask them their reasons for leaving and you get a variety of answers. Summed up, these seem to amount to general in compatibility with the trend of Cuba's revolution. The government calls the ref ugees traitors. Though ostensibly tolerant to the mass exodus--which offers a convenient means of getting rid of its opposition--the gov ernment throws a lot of difficul ties in the refugees' way Those leaving are not allowed to take any money--not even one cent--with them. Nor can they take anv but the cheapest watches, bracelets, necklaces or jewelry. The departing Cuban must present himself at the airport two days before his flight to check in. This is said to be so that the secret police will have an up-to-date list of those in tending to leave, in order to check their background LONG WAIT Before 10 a.m. on the day of departure the passenger returns to the airport with his luggage no more than one piece, maxi- mum 66 pounds; no hand lug- gage It may be 8 p.m. before the flight leaves In the meantime passengers will stand for hours in a wait- ing room affectionately cailed "the black hole," separated by a glass partition from friends and relatives come to say good bye. There they are checked for morney and valuables The authorities make a con- cession to passengers found with forbidden goods: They may leave them with friends remain- ing in Cuba. The door to the "black hole" opens a sliver, and the valued item flashes through to an outstretched hand on the other side. : Some refugees find ways of getting around the prohibition against taking valuables. Dia- monds are swallowed; pre- cious stones are hidden in shoes where they torment the wearer at every step. Once, thousands of dollars went to Florida in a toothpaste tube CURRENCY SHORT It is impossible, except In special circumstances, to buy an airline ticket with Cuban pesos The fare must be sent into the country from outside by money order--this to help relieve Cu ba's acute shortage of convert ibile currency. Since there is no American embassy in Havana to issue visas, get'ing permission to en ter the United States 1s a roundabout process for Cubans Through relatives In the U.S they get from the state depar ment what is known as a "wai ver of a visa." Such a document is good for only one trip to the U.S. By using it the Cuban in effect re nounces any hope of returning to his country for a visit, since it he did so. he could not gel back into the United States, po a WE RR EW 1 AGAINST dhe Osha Cmes Now Offers INSURANCE ACCIDENTS 10,0 THAT GROWS TO $15,000-°° UNDERWRITTEN BY 1S) Scorrisy A Ww 1=1 INSURANCE cO. LIMITED She Oshawa Times atter months or careful planning, now offers this 24-hour insurance protection to its regular subscribers. You'll never find a better investment for less than 3c a week! Your maximum coverage when you take out the policy is for $10,000. From then on all benefits increase by 10% per year for 5 years. At the end of this period your maximum coverage will reach up to $15,000 with other benefits in proportion. TWO TYPES of POLICY Personal Policy-- For any individual subscriber to THE OSHAWA TIMES form the ageof 1. 79 --costs less than 3c a week Family Plan--Approx. 4.50 per yr. 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