Page 212 - Gobierno ivisible

Date: 4/5/2011 Page: 212 of 237

house all the time and I had an excellent view of a vittelina warbler, Nelson's (denolroica vittelina nelsoni) named
for Mr. George Nelson and found only on Swan, I believe. On the runway we enjoyed daily a flock of twenty
little blue herons in all stages of color, a few white ibis and one cattle egret. It seemed like home to hear and see
one catbird, also one tree swallow.

"One of the technicians led us to a young white booby in its nest. We had to pick our way several hundred yards
over jagged sharp coral with great cracks to be crossed."

There was no question that the CIA had gone above and beyond the call of duty to be hospitable to the delightful
Massachusetts couple. "When we reluctantly left for home," Mrs. Crowell concluded, "the pilot flew low over and
around the islands as a farewell treat. We realized with grateful appreciation that no stone had been left unturned
to make our unusual adventure a reality."

A year later, Radio Americas was still on the air from Swan. It called on Cubans to burn cane fields, and to carry
matches to be ready for sabotage at all times. It instructed them to go into offices and telephone booths and take
the receivers off the hooks to tie up communications. And it urged the people of Cuba to smash as many bottles as
possible. The CIA's reported plan was to curtail the island's beer supply by creating a bottle shortage.

In Boston, Sumner Smith maintained he was not sure whether or not he was still a director of the Gibraltar
Steamship Corporation. Smith, explaining his family's ownership claim, said that he had foreclosed a mortgage on
the island that had been acquired years ago by his father, the late Charles Sumner Smith. Smith said he had since
transferred ownership of the island to his four children, and that they in turn had leased the land to Gibraltar for
operation of the radio station.

A telephone call was placed to the Vanguard Service Corporation consultants, in Miami late in 1963. "Vanguard
Service," said the girl who answered. Roger Butts then came on the line. Mr. Butts explained that Radio Swan
was now Radio Americas and was "currently in operation."

"It is a privately owned commercial station operating on Swan Island," he said.

"What happened to the Gibraltar Steamship Corporation?"

"Vanguard is leasing from Gibraltar Steamship on a profit basis. Gibraltar leases from Sumner Smith."

Mr. Butts identified himself as the "vice-president" of Vanguard. "The president and treasurer is Mr. William H.
West, Jr., Mr. James Hollingsworth of Palm Beach is the vice-president and Richard S. Greenlee is the secretary."

Mr. Butts was asked how the station was supported. After a long pause he replied: "By income from sponsors."

A call to George O. Gillingham, the public information chief for the Federal Communications Commission,
brought this response to an inquiry about the Swan Island station: "It's still operating. We do not license this
station. Try the State Department."

Gillingham said yes, the FCC does license stations broadcasting from the United States or its possessions. That is
the law of the land. "We don't license government stations," he added.

Was he saying that this was a government station then?

"No, no, no!" the FCC man said. "We don't know what it is. All we know is that it's operating."