Battalion/Pagellp Coi
February 25, 111 for
national
Aid package will prevent
‘new Cubas,’ Reagan says
staff photo by Colin Valentine
Taking it all off?
Well, almost. Robert Campbell, a junior
biochemistry major from Houston,
strips down for the MSC Hospitality
Committee’s Mr. Aggie contest. The
contest, which was a promotion for the
Miss Texas A&M Pageant, was held
Wednesday afternoon. Campbell won
the contest from a field of 13 contestants
oh the basis of appearance, poise, cos
tume, originality and personality. The
contest was judged by a panel of contes
tants for the title of Miss Texas A&M
University.
Today’s Almanac
United Press International
WASHINGTON — President
Reagan, saying the United
States must act swiftly to prevent
the emergence of “new Cubas,”
Wednesday announced a sweep
ing U.S. aid package to promote
democracy in impoverished na
tions of Central America and the
Caribbean.
The president’s announce
ment, in an address to the Orga
nization of American States,
came amid increasing adminis
tration concern about Cuban
and Soviet intervention in the
Western Hemisphere.
“If we do not act promptly
and decisively in defense of free
dom,” Reagan said, “new Cubas
will arise from the ruins of to
day’s conflicts.
“Let our friends and our
adversaries understand that we
will do whatever is prudent and
necessary to ensure the peace
and security of the Caribbean
area.”
The president’s speech at the
OAS headquarters in Washing
ton emphasized his firm beliefs
in the American concept of suc
cess through hard work and free
enterprise, the same framework
he put forward last year at the
Cancun, Mexico, summit con
ference.
He said the strengthening of
the economies of the small na
tions will pay political dividends
through making governments
popular with their citizens, but
he never strayed far from mak
ing sure that all concerned —
including Moscow — know the
economic initiative is put for
ward under a protective
umbrella.
“A new kind of colonialism
stalks the world today and
threatens our independence,”
he said. “It is brutal and totalita
rian. It is not of our hemisphere
but it threatens our hemisphere
and has established footholds on
American soil for the expansion
of its colonialist ambitions.”
Accordingly, Reagan
announced he is seeking up to
$60 million' in supplemental
the cum
appropriations in the current
1982 budget for military aid, in
cluding small arms, patrol boats,
helicopters and communica
tions equipment, to the region.
An administration spokes
man said the package would
al to help prop up the economies
of the poorer nations in the area
with a massive inflow of U.S.
dollars.
“This economic proposal is as
unprecedented as today’s crisis
in the Caribbean,” he said. “This
commitment makes unmistak
ably clear our determination to
help our neighbors grow
strong.”
“Let our friends and
our adversaries under
stand that we will do
whatever is prudent and
necessary to ensure the
peace and security of
the Caribbean area. ” —
President Reagan
absolutely not involve American
combat troops.
The president also requested
$350 million in supplemental
economic development assist
ance in the current fiscal year.
Asked if Nicaragua could be
considered a communist coun
try and thus subject to the ban
imposed on Cuba, Assistant Sec
retary of State Thomas Enders
said he would not go that far, but
“the trends are very unfavor
able.”
If Nicaragua wants the assist
ance, Special Trade Representa
tive William Brock said it de
pends on how the Nicaraguan
government conducts itself.
The president’s warning
against further communist ex
pansion in the Caribbean basin
backed up his sweeping propos-
The overall program is de
signed to protect what the presi
dent termed “a vital and strate
gic and commercial artery for
the United States.”
The main points of the prog
ram include Reagan seeking
congressional authorization for:
—One-way free trade and the
elimination of duties on all im
ports from the Caribbean Basin
nations except for textiles and
apparel. A safeguard mechan
ism would be created to protect
any U.S. industry seriously hurt
by such imports.
— An extra $350 million
appropriation for 1982 to pro
vide emergency assistaKfJ
several countries,
— Favorable ti
textile and apparel expoiti
the region while efforts si
tinned to tighten importp
from other major supplioM
“Make no mistake,”KjfjSi
said, “the well-beingarT/
ity of our neighbors iniw | yc Mp
gion are in our own
terests.” ~
He said nearly half ofll
trade ilow, two-thirdsoft|
lion’s oil imports and n
half of the strategic i
brought into the
come through the Pai
al or the Gulf of Mexico !
Reagan said the Unitedj
shares a common desifl
t lie some two dozen natk
the Gulf-CaribbeanJ
nm
which he termed the thiidl
der of the United Statetl
president said thosenatioi
under economic siege” ih
can be lifted through helplj
richer nations of the!
phere.
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United Press International
Today is Thursday, Feb. 25,
the 56th day of 1982 with 309 to
follow.
The moon is moving toward
its first quarter.
The morning stars are Mer
cury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and
Saturn.
There is no evening star.
Those born on this date are
under the sign of Pisces.
On this date in history:
In 1901,J.P. Morgan formed
the United States Steel Corp. in
New Jersey, to become the na
tion’s first billion-dollar enter
prise.
In 1967, American warships
began shelling Vietnam.
In 1975, President Ford
warned Cambodia would soon
fall to the communists unless
Congress approved his request
for $222 million in new aid.
A thought for the day: Amer
ican Philosopher William James
said, “There is no more miser
able human being than one in
whom nothing is habitual but in
decision.”
BOB BROWN
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