837.20/174
The Under Secretary of State ( Welles ) to the Ambassador in Cuba ( Messersmith )
Dear George: Upon receipt of your letter of June 5,18 the attention of the War and Navy Departments was again called to the possibility of sending a joint military-naval mission to Cuba. The Navy Department has just replied that it will not object to such a mission and concurs in your recommendation that, prior to taking any further action, the Cuban Government’s views should be obtained in order to determine the scope of the activities and the functions to be performed by the mission.
The War Department also expresses its agreement with your recommendation and has voiced no objection in principle to the plan. I think that we can properly assume, therefore, that if the question of establishing such a mission should be proposed again by the Cubans, you can give consideration to the matter in the knowledge that such a suggestion will not be opposed by the military or naval authorities in Washington.
Believe me [etc.]
- Not printed.↩