837.24/10–244: Airgram
The Ambassador in Cuba (Braden) to the Secretary of State
[Received October 4—5 p.m.]
A–2223. Reference Department’s A–1699, September 27, 4 p.m.45 On September 29, when I inquired of the Minister of State when we could expect payment now overdue of $1,400,000 on account of our Lend-Lease deliveries to Cuba, I recalled to him that the Department had requested such payment in its June 26 note to the Cuban Embassy in Washington and that I had, under instructions from the Department, followed up in the premises. I explained that, despite any impression which the Cuban Government had to the contrary, this was a payment which required prompt action.
The Minister replied that when he mentioned the subject to President Batista recently, the latter “had almost had a fit”. Dr. Mañach added that “the Treasury, as you know, is absolutely bare” and that the most he could hope for was the payment of certain claims for official cable and radio messages of the Cuban Government, and that even with regard to these claims he had been forced to remind the President that he (Mañach) had promised me in the President’s name that these accounts would be liquidated before October 10. The Minister obviously had in mind the three claims for services rendered by the Western Union Telegraph Company, Cuban All America Cables and Cuban Transatlantic Radio Corporation, aggregating $148,595.71, the payment of which, together with some $81,000 owed our Government for expenses incurred in the repatriation of Cuban nationals from Europe and the Orient, was authorized by Decree No. 2395 of August 2, 1944 (with regard to the $81,000, Dr. Mañach assured me that this definitely would be taken care of).
I expressed my deep regret that the Cuban Government could not see its way clear at this time to liquidate its Lend-Lease indebtedness of $1,400,000 and the Minister again assured me that there was absolutely nothing that could be done in this connection.