Foreign Relations of the United States, 1917–1972, Volume VIII, Public Diplomacy, 1969–1972

114. Memorandum From the Deputy Assistant Director, Public Information, United States Information Agency (Leeper) to all USIA Element Heads¹

Washington, October 29, 1970

The following statement was released this morning:

“The news story in the Washington Post of October 29² stating that, in connection with alleged construction of a Soviet submarine base in Cuba,³ Mr. Shakespeare recommended to the White House that diplomatic relations between the United States and the USSR be broken and SALT negotiations between the two countries be suspended, is totally untrue.

“During the period when the submarine base reports were prevalent, he was in Europe and made no recommendations whatsoever to anyone on the subject at any time.”

Robert H. Leeper

1. Source: National Archives, RG 306, Office of Research and Assessment, Program Files, 1970–1971, Entry P–226, Box 1, PR—Public Relations. No classification marking. An unknown hand wrote “IOR—Mr. Roberts” in the top right-hand corner of the memorandum.
2. Chalmers M. Roberts, “USIA Chief Said to Urge End to SALT,” Washington Post, October 29, 1970, p. A1. Roberts wrote: “According to the account, the Shakespeare proposal was made in early October before the Washington-Moscow arrangement under which Moscow announced it was not building a Soviet submarine base. That deal has never been officially confirmed, however.” On October 30, the Washington Post reported that Ziegler had denied that Shakespeare “had urged” Nixon to suspend the SALT negotiations: “Campaigning with Mr. Nixon yesterday, Ziegler said: ‘The White House did not receive any such recommendation from Mr. Shakespeare.’” (“USIA Chief’s Role Denied,” p. A13)
3. Reference is to Soviet activity at Cienfuegos Bay, Cuba. In September, a reconnaissance plane photographed construction that suggested that the Soviet Union was constructing a naval facility, which went against the 1962 understanding that the Soviets would not base offensive weapons in Cuba. Documentation on the incident is in Foreign Relations, 1969–1976, vol. XIII, Soviet Union, October 1970–October 1971 and ibid., vol. E–10, Documents on American Republics, 1969–1972.