279. Editorial Note
On December 1, 1961, President Kennedy issued a proclamation, under the provisions of section 408 (b) of the Sugar Act of 1948, as amended, in which he established that the sugar quota for Cuba, for the first 6 months of 1962, would be zero. (Proclamation No. 3440, 26 Federal Register 11714, also printed in Department of State Bulletin, January 1, 1962, page 34)
In a speech to the Cuban people the same day, Prime Minister Castro stated: “I am a Marxist-Leninist and I will continue to be a Marxist-Len-inist until the last day of my life.” (The translated text of Castroʼs speech is printed in The New York Times, December 3, 1961) United States Representative deLesseps Morrison seized upon Castroʼs December 1 speech as an admission of his true Communist colors, and in a statement made before the Council of the Organization of American States on December 4, Morrison called upon the governments of the organization to protect the peoples of the hemisphere from “any extension of the treachery of Fidelismo.” (American Foreign Policy: Current Documents, 1961, pages 320-323)
The Department of State reinforced Morrisonʼs statement in circular telegram 1065 to all Latin American posts on December 6 instructing the posts to assess the local reaction to Castroʼs speech, and determine whether Castroʼs admission would help establish the basis for stronger measures to isolate Cuba in Latin America. (Department of State, Central Files, 737.00/12-661)