837.00/4301: Telegram
The Ambassador in Cuba (Welles) to the Secretary of State
[Received October 30—7:53 a.m.]
413. Batista has sent me word tonight that a change in government is imperative. He will insist that Mendieta accept the Provisional Presidency and if he persists in his refusal he will urge Gómez to accept the position. He states that he will only ask that the Secretaries of the Interior and of War be appointees in whom he has confidence. He advises that he will tonight urge the Student Directorate of their own initiative to suggest the change but that if they refuse he will force them to abandon politics and return to the university.
With one exception all of the small civilian organizations supporting Grau San Martín have now withdrawn their support publicly. The general public expects the fall of the government tonight or tomorrow although the change will not in my opinion take place before the middle of the week.
The general strike announced for tomorrow will not materialize as planned. Some of the unions will strike but the Army has forced [Page 504] several of them including laborers of the Shell Mex Company to return to work tomorrow and consequently the lockout of the Standard Oil and Sinclair companies will be revoked.