Sen. Cooper Seeks Cuba Blockade If Talks Fail to Remove Russians

Arriving in Boston for Lincoln Day ceremonies, liberal Republican Senator John Sherman Cooper of Kentucky, called for a new blockade "in the event that diplomatic negotiations fail to remove Russian troops and missiles from Cuba."

"It is possible that diplomatic negotiations will succeed," said Cooper, but his firmeet tone of conviction was reserved for the statement, "We must not tolerate the establishment of a Russian base with Russian troops or weapons in the Western hemisphere." Cooper added, "My position is based on national security, not the Monroe Doctrine."

On the Canadian political crisis over U.S. nuclear warheads, Cooper stated, "In substance the Administration is correct. The missiles were provided with the expectation that they would be made effective with warheads." However, Cooper criticized the Administration's handling of the situation. "We should have used normal diplomatic channels," he said.

Criticizes Republican Leaders

Nonetheless, even on the annual GOP holiday Cooper could not fully serve the cause of Party unity. He criticized national Republican leaders for "encouraging Republican candidacies in the South which follow the same civil rights program as Southern Democrats."

He termed Senator Barry Goldwater's civil rights position "a great problem" which would probably preclude a liberal Republican from joining Goldwater on a ticket in 1964. Cooper called Governor Nelson Rockefeller the leading contender for the GOP Presidential nomination.

Questioned by the CRIMSON about Congressional criticism of Adam Clayton Powell, Cooper replied that "his case does not look very good. The fact that Powell is a Congressman does not make his case different from that of any other citizen."