Foreign Relations of the United States, 1958–1960, Cuba, Volume VI

471. Telegram From the Embassy in Cuba to the Department of State¹

Havana, March 8, 1960—8 p.m.

2305. Embassy telegram 2303.² Foreign Minister Roa said he had called me with respect to Secretary Herter’s statements to Cuban Chargé Enrique Patterson yesterday. Roa said there had been some confusion due to fact Secretary’s oral statement did not correspond in tone or substance or date with written communication which Secretary handed Chargé at the same time. The oral statement contained, he said, remarks which were insulting, threatening and aggressive against Cuban Prime Minister and that Cuban diplomatic representative should not have been obliged to listen to such offensive remarks about his Chief of State.

I said that surely the Minister understood how deeply offended we were at accusation by Prime Minister that US, which had a history of which it was very proud, should stoop to such a repulsive act as the explosion of the French ship. Roa replied that Castro had rationalized the explosion but had made no charge against US and had merely said we have no evidence but have the right to believe that so forth and so forth. I remarked that Castro’s statements added up to an accusation and were understood by the Cuban public as such. Roa handed me signed copy of the statement reported in reference telegram.

I asked Roa if he knew what press correspondents outside of his office were saying. As he did not know, I said we had been hearing from press all afternoon that Foreign Minister called me to announce that Cuba was breaking diplomatic relations with US. He smiled and said that was ridiculous. We agreed that press sometimes no help in our business and I left, to face large battery of correspondents and photographers who were shortly to be disillusioned by Roa as to his purpose in calling me in.

Topping accompanied me on visit.

Braddock

1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611. 37/3–860. Official Use Only; Priority.
2. In telegram 2303, March 8, the Embassy reported that Roa had given Braddock a statement that day, just prior to releasing it to the press, protesting the statements Herter had made to Patterson on March 7 (see Document 469) as “insulting” and “aggressive and threatening” to Cuban national dignity. (Department of State, Central Files, 611. 37/3–860)