19 OCTOBER 1962, Page 16

CASTRO'S CUBA SIR,—Such a shabby distortion of fact in Alfred

Sherman's article on Castro! (September 7.) 'Castro's was the first Communist regime to take over an economy in working order [which] now shows the disastrous effects of the chaos of Castro- ism.'

Did Castro create this chaos—or did the United States? Did Castro cut off his sugar and tobacco trade with the United States? Did Castro forbid American tourists to visit Cuba? Did Castro initiate a complete embargo of American trade with Cuba? And does Castro propose an American blockade of Cuba? The chaos in Cuba's economy exists—a tribute to the raw power and force of an only too successful American plan to create it.

That is the fact.

MARY MACKINTOSH

141 East 55th Street, New York, 22