Political, economic, and military relations of the United States and Cuba1

1. Continued from Foreign Relations, 1952–1954, vol. iv, pp. 867 ff.


281. Memorandum From the Director of the Office of Regional American Affairs (Cale) to the Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs (Holland)

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 811.318/9–3055. Limited Official Use. Drafted by Mulliken and Callanan.


282. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs (Holland) to the Acting Secretary of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 811.235/11–2855. Official Use Only. Drafted by Hoyt.


284. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs (Holland) to the Secretary of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 737.00/5–856. Confidential. Drafted by Leonhardy.


285. Memorandum of a Conversation, Ambassador’s Residence, Panama City, July 23, 1956

Source: Department of State, Conference Files: Lot 62 D 181. Official Use Only. Drafted by Neal. The source text bears Holland’s initials. A handwritten note on the source text indicates that William B. Macomber, Special Assistant to the Secretary, approved the memorandum for distribution. This conversation occurred after the meeting of the American Presidents in Panama City on July 21–22; see Documents 109 ff.


286. Telegram From the Ambassador in Cuba (Gardner) to the Secretary of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 737.00/10–1656. Secret. Repeated to Cuidad Trujillo. Copies were passed to Department of Defense, CIA, and FBI.


288. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, December 6, 1956

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 737.00/12–656. Confidential. Drafted by Leonhardy.


289. Telegram From the Ambassador in Cuba (Gardner) to the Secretary of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 737.00/2–1557. Secret; Priority.


293. Notes on an Intelligence Advisory Committee Meeting, Washington, August 6, 1957

Source: Department of State, INR Files: Lot 58 D 776. Secret. Extract. Drafted by Jay P. Moffat, Division of Biographic Information, Office of the Special Assistant—Intelligence.


294. Telegram From the Ambassador in Cuba (Smith) to the Secretary of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 737.00/9–1357. Confidential; Niact.


295. Despatch From the Ambassador in Cuba (Smith) to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 737.00/9–1657. Confidential. Drafted by John L. Topping, Second Secretary, Counselor, and Political Officer of the Embassy in Habana.


296. Letter From the Secretary of Defense (Wilson) to the Administrator of the General Services Administration (Floete)

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 837.2547/2–2758. Official Use Only. Attached to a memorandum of February 27, 1958, from Snow to Mann.


297. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs (Rubottom) to the Acting Secretary of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 737.00/9–2157. Confidential. Dulles was in New York to address the opening session of the U.N. General Assembly on September 19; Murphy was acting.


298. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs (Rubottom) to the Deputy Under Secretary for Political Affairs (Murphy)

Source: Department of State, Rubottom Files: Lot 59 D 573, Cuba. Confidential. Drafted by Leonhardy. An uninitialed handwritten note across the first page of this memorandum reads: “Covered in talk with Murphy.”


299. Telegram From the Ambassador in Cuba (Smith) to the Secretary of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 737.00/9–2357. Confidential.


300. Instruction From the Secretary of State to the Embassy in Cuba

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 737.00/9–2557. Secret. Drafted by Litsey and approved by Turkel.


301. Memorandum for the Files, by the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs (Snow)

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 737.00/10–2257. Confidential. Copies of this memorandum were sent to MID and to the Embassy in Habana.


302. Telegram From the Ambassador in Cuba (Smith) to the Secretary of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 737.00/11–257. Confidential.


303. Telegram From the Secretary of State to the Embassy in Cuba

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 737.00/11–1457. Secret; Niact. Drafted by Leonhardy and Wieland; approved by Snow.


304. Telegram From the Secretary of State to the Embassy in Cuba

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 737.00/11–1857. Secret; Niact. Drafted by Leonhardy and Wieland; approved by Edward S. Little, Officer in Charge of Caribbean Affairs.


306. Despatch From the Ambassador in Cuba (Smith) to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 737.00/12–757. Confidential. Drafted by Smith, Braddock, and Topping. This despatch replied to MID’s request for comment on a November 21 memorandum by Wieland and Stewart entitled, “Possible United States Courses of Action in Restoring Normalcy to Cuba.” The MID officials wrote that if the United States decided to make efforts to bring Batista and the opposition together and these efforts failed, three alternative courses of action suggested themselves. One was to return to a policy of aloofness from Cuba and allow internal political forces in Cuba to run their course with possible chaotic consequences. Another was to diminish the brutality of the Cuban armed forces by warning Batista that if he did not discipline his troops, the United States would suspend all military supplies and equipment to Cuba. The third was to adopt harsher measures to curtail the revolutionary activities of the anti-Batista Cuban exiles in the United States if they should refuse to negotiate with the President of Cuba. Wieland and Stewart recommended, “That we attempt to explore the situation to determine whether there is a possibility of Batista and the opposition reaching an agreement to hold free elections. If not, we should then determine whether to take any of the measures suggested above, or alternative action, and to clarify publicly our position in the Cuban crisis. This should be done in close consultation with our Embassy in Cuba and with any Cuban leaders deemed appropriate.” (Ibid., 737.00/11–2157)


307. Memorandum From the Director of the Office of Middle American Affairs (Wieland) to the Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs (Rubottom)

Source: Department of State, Rubottom Files: Lot 59 D 573, Cuba. Secret. Drafted by Wieland and Leonhardy, this memorandum was forwarded to Rubottom under cover of a memorandum of December 23. Stewart stated that the policy recommendation of December 19, had been seen by Acting Director of the Office of Inter-American Regional Political Affairs Dreier, Hoyt, and Curtis, and that a copy had been sent to the Embassy in Habana with a request for comments. Stewart also stated that Wieland felt this memorandum represented the thinking of Ambassador Smith, but noted that the Embassy’s comments in despatch 463, supra, in response to an earlier memorandum on this subject were restrained. Finally, Stewart wrote that if the Embassy concurred, the December 19 memorandum would “represent MID’s thinking on the Cuban situation at this time.”