259. Despatch From the Embassy in Cuba to the Department of State1
SUBJECT
- Call on Minister of State
The Ambassador, accompanied by the Deputy Chief of Mission made his first business call on the Minister of State on March 7.
Appreciation for Courtesies.
The Ambassador thanked the Minister for the very kind reception he had had from the Cuban Government, and expressed special appreciation for the presentation of credentials ceremony2 and the arrangement of the talk with Dr. Fidel Castro.3 Both of these occasions had gone off well, he thought, and he felt optimistic regarding the cultivation of close friendly relations between the two countries. He noted, with satisfaction, that the Communist paper had referred to his speech at the presentation of credentials as “insidious” and the President’s reply as “unacceptable”. Dr. Agramonte smiled and said that he too had been attacked by the Communists soon after taking office and had regarded it as a sign he was getting off on the right foot.
[Page 422]The Ambassador said that at this, his first business call on the Minister, there were two or three things he would like to mention. He remarked that as normal in relations between countries there would from time to time be matters on which there would be different points of view, but that he was confident that these matters could always be discussed and dealt with in a friendly manner. The Minister agreed.
Wheat, Flour, and Rice.
The Ambassador mentioned briefly our concern at the import restrictions on wheat and flour concerning which we had made written representations last December. He said we are still very much interested in this problem and would appreciate hearing from the Government in reply to our note.4 Of more recent concern, the Ambassador said, were the regulations adopted last week with respect to imports of rice.5 These regulations, he thought, might also be found to detract from certain rights which the United States enjoyed under international agreements, and he thought it only proper to put the Minister on notice that we might be talking with him further on this subject.
Dr. Agramonte suggested that after the Ambassador had talked individually with the Ministers of Finance, Agriculture, Commerce, and National Economy, he would be glad to arrange a meeting, perhaps a luncheon, for the purpose of discussing as a group the rice and wheat questions. The Ambassador welcomed this suggestion, and thanked the Minister for it.
Purchase of Arms by Batista Followers in Florida.
The Ambassador said he believed that relations between the two countries could ordinarily be conducted more satisfactorily through normal governmental channels than through public statements. He referred to a statement reported in the press to have been made by Dr. Castro the night before to the effect that Batista followers in Florida were purchasing arms in violation of United States laws, and that our authorities were not enforcing these laws. He stressed the point that the newspaper accounts of what Dr. Castro had said varied considerably, and that he therefore did not know exactly what the Prime Minister had said. It was our desire fully to enforce our laws, he said, and if the Cuban Government had knowledge of any violations, we would appreciate its bringing them officially to our attention.
[Page 423]Dr. Agramonte said he believed that the story of the arms purchases were probably based on nothing more than rumors, and mentioned that a Miami newspaper this morning reported a U.S. customs official there as having denied that any such purchases of arms had taken place.
Food Contribution by Catholic Welfare Council
The Ambassador said that he had been informed that during the course of the next three months the Catholic Welfare Council of the United States would undertake the distribution of over one million pounds of milk and two million pounds of corn meal to needy persons in Oriente. He said that these products were provided to the Council, for distribution in Cuba, from surplus agricultural stocks of the United States Government, and were the gift of the American people. Dr. Agramonte was pleased at this information and expressed interest in receiving any details the Embassy might have, which the Ambassador promised to send him.
Visit of Dr. Castro to the United States.
The Ambassador said that Dr. Castro had accepted the invitation of the American Society of Newspaper Editors to visit the United States in April and that a State Department spokesman had announced that this unofficial visit would be welcome to the United States.6 The Government would of course wish to show Dr. Castro appropriate courtesies, he said, and he asked that we be provided as soon as possible with details concerning Dr. Castro’s plans and desires concerning this trip, as to dates, itinerary, persons accompanying him, etc., in view of the long forward planning required in Washington. He spoke of the interest of Acting Secretary Herter in Dr. Castro’s visit. Dr. Agramonte said that Dr. Castro would be pleased to know of the Ambassador’s inquiry, and promised to send us the desired information as soon as he could.
Extradition of Masferrer and Laurent, and Clemency for Cubans under Indictment in United States.
In reply to the Ambassador’s inquiry whether there were any matters the Minister wished to take up with him, Dr. Agramonte mentioned the Government’s desire for the extradition of Masferrer and Laurent and its hope for generous treatment in the case of the Cubans held in the United States for violations of the U.S. Neutrality Law. Both these matters, he said, had been under discussion with us for some time, and he seemed satisfied they were receiving proper [Page 424] consideration. The Minister stated that the necessary papers regarding Masferrer’s extradition were being submitted by the Cuban Embassy in Washington.
Daniel M. Braddock
Minister-Counselor
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.37/3–959. Confidential. Drafted by Braddock.↩
- See Document 256.↩
- See supra.↩
- Apparently a reference to the Embassy’s note no. 9, January 15, a copy of which was transmitted to the Department as an enclosure to despatch 759, January 20. (Department of State, Central Files, 398.2311/1–2059)↩
- Not further identified.↩
- See footnote 2, supra.↩