Castro's Childhood Plea to Us President
A 12-year-old Fidel Castro's appeal for 'ten dollars bill green american' is among the oddities on show in a forthcoming exhibition of letters written by children to American presidents.
"My good friend Roosevelt," the handwritten letter begins. "I don't know very English, but I know as much as to write to you. I like to hear radio and I am very happy because I heard in it that you will be president for a new period."
The author of the letter then makes a somewhat forward appeal. "If you like," the 12-year-old wrote, "give me a ten dollars bill green american, in the letter, because never, I have not seen a ten dollars bill green american and I would like to have one of them."
The 1940 letter from a youngster who went on to lead the Cuban revolution in 1959 that led to less cordial relations with America is one of the oddities on show from a forthcoming exhibition in Washington, compiled by the US National Archives and Records Administration.
The exhibition features letters of children written to American presidents, including a girl who wanted to keep her father at home during the second world war.
Mr Castro's early bent toward capitalism was apparently not met with cash. Years later he said he had been proud to receive an acknowledgement letter that was posted on his school bulletin board.
Mr Castro toppled the military rule of Cuban president Fulgencio Batista 19 years later. He has now ruled Cuba for 45 years as a Communist state.
Another letter from three schoolgirls to Dwight Eisenhower expressed concern for the welfare of Elvis Presley's hair.
"We think it's bad enough to send Elvis Presley in the Army," they complained, "but if you cut his sideburns off we will just die."
The author of the letter then makes a somewhat forward appeal. "If you like," the 12-year-old wrote, "give me a ten dollars bill green american, in the letter, because never, I have not seen a ten dollars bill green american and I would like to have one of them."
The 1940 letter from a youngster who went on to lead the Cuban revolution in 1959 that led to less cordial relations with America is one of the oddities on show from a forthcoming exhibition in Washington, compiled by the US National Archives and Records Administration.
The exhibition features letters of children written to American presidents, including a girl who wanted to keep her father at home during the second world war.
Mr Castro's early bent toward capitalism was apparently not met with cash. Years later he said he had been proud to receive an acknowledgement letter that was posted on his school bulletin board.
Mr Castro toppled the military rule of Cuban president Fulgencio Batista 19 years later. He has now ruled Cuba for 45 years as a Communist state.
Another letter from three schoolgirls to Dwight Eisenhower expressed concern for the welfare of Elvis Presley's hair.
"We think it's bad enough to send Elvis Presley in the Army," they complained, "but if you cut his sideburns off we will just die."
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