Batista Says Foes Have Quit Hide-out

Special to The New York Times

HAVANA, March 30 – President Fulgencio Batista said this afternoon that “neither Fidel Castro nor any other insurgent is at present in the Sierra Maestra” of Oriente Province.

He made the statement when he visited the Bureau of Investigations of the National Police to inspect arms and ammunition seized by the authorities in the last few days.

At the same time the President expressed the opinion that the three American teen-agers in the United States naval base at Guatanamo, Oriente Province, and reportedly joined the Castro forces were not with Señor Castro.

“I do not believe the North American youths reached Sierra Maestra or that they were ever there,” the President said.

“I think that possibly they are in Havana or Miami,” he added.

Intelligence agents early this morning seized a quantity of arms and explosives in an apartment in Vedado, a residential suburb.

Three men were arrested and accused of having participated in the attack on the Presidential palace March 13.

According to the authorities six rifles, five revolvers, shells and a quantity of dynamite were found in the apartment, which apparently had been used by a group of insurgents.

No information was given out by the authorities as to whether the three men arrested were in the apartment at the time of the seizure.