COPY Tracy S. Voorhees 1025 Connecticut Avenue, N.W. Washington 6, D.C. January 28, 1961 Dear Mr. President: May I first express my deep appreciation of your gracious letter to me. Also, I have seen your letter to Secretary Ribicoff. It is a great satisfaction to me to know that you have taken such a prompt and vigorous step to assure that the work for Cuban refugees which I initiated for President Eisenhower will be carried forward with full effectiveness on a longer range basis than I could properly do under my very temporary assignment. I am deeply gratified by your statement in the letter to Secretary Ribicoff that: “I want you to make concrete my concern and sympathy for those who have been forced from their homes in Cuba and to assure them that we shall seek expedite their voluntary return as soon as conditions facilitate that*****. “Both here at home and abroad, I want to remphasize most strongly the tradition of the United State as a humanitarian sanctuary, and the many times it has extended its hand and material help to those who are ‘exiles for conscience’s sake’. In the presently troubled world we can not be a peacemaker if we are not also the protector of those individuals as well as nations who cast with us their personal liberties and hopes for the future.” “Immediate action should be taken to assure no interruption in present services for the refugees.” This inspiring position taken by the President of the United States will go far forward giving confidence both to the refugees themselves and to the religious and voluntary agencies which are dedicated to help them. The assurance of your continuing interest to assist these people to return to Cuba later if conditions permit will also be of great help in the difficult resettlement problem ahead.