But President Remarks U.S. Is Trying to Get Live Americans Back Home

By Jack Raymond
Special to The New York Times

WASHINGTON, July 2--The United States, in working for the release of Americans held captive abroad, is trying to bring them back alive, President Eisenhower said today.

He spoke at his news conference in response to complaints in Congress that the Government was not doing enough to obtain the release of kidnapped Americans in Cuba.

The United States also is trying to obtain the release of East Germany, nine airmen held in the Soviet Union, and four American citizens held by Communist China.

"We are trying to get live Americans back," said General Eisenhower with some feeling.  "We are not disposed to do anything reckless that would create consequences for them that would be final." [Question 2, page 12].

The President said that United States consular officials in Cuba were in touch with the reels who had kidnapped the Americans and three Canadians.

He said these officials were trying to explain that the rebels were wrong in believing that the United States had given military aid to the Cuban Government since an embargo March 15, 1958.

The President, as did Secretary of State Dulles yesterday, distinguished between the kidnappings of Americans by Cuban rebels and the detention of Americans in the Communist countries.

But the Government's fears for the safety of the hostages applies in all cases, President Eisenhower stressed.  He recalled the Government's "intense study and concern" when Americans first were held by the Chinese Communists.

President Eisenhower's caution in handling the detentions of United States nationals abroad has been indicted since an Army helicopter, with nine aboard, drifted into East Germany June 7 and was seized there by the East German authorities.

The President was reported to be favorable to almost any move short of formal, permanent recognition of the East German Government to get the men back.  Secretary Dulles said publicly June 10:  "When you have people kidnapped you deal with the kidnappers."

The Secretary of State, however, is reported to be personally in favor of a stronger attitude.  Yesterday he said the Untied States would never yield to blackmail to obtain the release of the hostages.

He characterized in this fashion the determination of the Soviet Union to force the Untied States to negotiate with the East Germany Government for the release of eight officers and a non-commisioned officer.

While referring to the other cases, President Eisenhower his news conference devoted himself ostly to the Americans kidnapped in Cuba by Cuban rebel forces.

He referred to the rebels as a "dissident portion of the nation," and he said they had taken the Americans as "hostages to secure some kind of accommodation or support for themselves."

The rebels apparently believe that the United States "has been giving improper support to the Government of Cuba," the President went on.  This "has no foundation in fact and it is unjustifiable to have innocent people seized" in retaliation on that premise, he asserted.

"So that, in every way that we can do, we are trying to convince these people of the errors they have made and to release our people instantly," the President remarked.

Lincoln White, State Department spokesman, sought to clarify the United States Government's actual military relations with the Cuban Government.

The United States has delivered no arms to Cuba since the March 15 embargo with only one exception, said Mr. White.  That was last May when 300 small rocket heads were exchanged "to correct an error made at the time of delivery many months before the suspension of arms shipments to Cuba went into effect."