484. Memorandum of a Conference With the President, White House, Washington, March 17, 1960, 11 a.m.1
OTHERS PRESENT
- Secretary Herter
- General Goodpaster
Mr. Herter said it was the view of the State Department that Ambassador Bonsal should be sent back to Cuba. He believes that this is the last time Bonsal should return if the Cubans involve him in their charges and plots in the future. He showed the President a proposed message to our chargé in Cuba, including the text of a proposed press release.2 The President said he agreed that we might as well get Bonsal back in Havana, to do whatever we can with a very unsatisfactory situation. Mr. Herter said that the South Americans are reacting very favorably to the restrained and correct actions being taken by the United States in this whole matter, and he thought Bonsal’s return would help this.
[Here follows discussion of matters unrelated to Cuba.]
- Source: Eisenhower Library, DDE Diaries. Secret. Prepared by Goodpaster on March 18. The source text indicates that the conversation followed the NSC meeting. The time is taken from the President’s Appointment Book. (ibid., President’s Daily Appointments) Also published in Declassified Documents, 1985, 1982.↩
- Not found.↩