The New York Times
July 6, 1958, 21

31 Arrested in Havana

Special to The New York Times

HAVANA, July 5- The police announced today the arrest of thirty-one youths accused of terrorism and rebellious acts against the Government of President Batista. These prisoners were exhibited to the local and foreign press in two police stations. Among them was Beliz Travieso Viera, a radio broadcaster of the big C. M. Q. television station.

Cuban military authorities announced the release of Carlos Ferrero, a Venezuelan resident of the United States. He was arrested in La Lima, Las Villas Province, after he and his American companion, Richard Witzler of Toledo, Ohio, had spent days as free-lance newspaper reporters with the Cuban rebels in the Escambray Mountains of Las Villas Province. At the same time a United States Embassy spokesman said that Mr. Witzler had also been released and had been sent back to the United States by the Cuban Government.

 Oscar Figarola, head of the Cuban Red Cross, said tonight he had not received any request from the international Red Cross for the evacuation of wounded Cuban soldiers who are at the hands of the rebels. Señor Figarola, commenting on a report here that Fidel Castro, from his hideout in the Sierra Maestra of Oriente Province, appealed through Caracas, Venezuela, to the International Red Cross to care for wounded soldiers, for whom the rebels did not have facilities.

 Señor Figarola said that neither the rebels nor the Cuban Government had communicated with him.  He added that the Cuban Red Cross was ready to go any place in Cuba where its humanitarian services were needed, regardless of “partisan considerations.”