378. Telegram From the Embassy in Cuba to the Department of State1
919. Confirming telephone conversation with Rubottom this morning2 am highly impressed with excellent presentation contained Department telegram 456.3 1 believe however presentation should be made by me earliest Tuesday morning 27th so as not to be factor utilizable by Castro, labor unions and other organizations supporting him further to inflame followers in connection monster rally of mobs and general strike planned for 26th. We have obtained assurances which GOC has publicized regarding lives and property of Americans. Our presentation would not in my judgment change nature of meeting in favorable direction and might weaken moderating influences on [Page 642] Castro and others perhaps now developing out of sober second thoughts. Am sure Roa, Dorticos and Castro fully aware our indignant reaction to Castro’s television performance of October 22–23.
Also we need time prepare careful Spanish translation to be left with President or Roa. We can not trust this important document to vagaries local translations of Washington release.
I plan ask Roa probably tomorrow morning 26th for urgent interview with President and himself on Tuesday 27th.
Immediately following telegram contains our proposed drafting changes.4
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.37/10–2559. Confidential; Niact; Limit Distribution.↩
- No record of this telephone conversation has been found.↩
- See footnote 4, supra.↩
- Telegram 920 from Havana, October 25. (Department of State, Central Files, 611.37/10–2559) In telegram 461 to Havana, October 25, the Department agreed that the presentation could be delayed until October 27, but authorized Bonsal to advance the time if he thought it advisable. The Department also accepted the revised text as proposed by Bonsal, but noted that it preferred the sixth paragraph to remain as originally drafted. (ibid.)↩