Office of the Historian

537. Memorandum of a Conference With the President, White House, Washington, June 27, 1960, 10:22–11:14 a.m.1

Washington, June 27, 1960, 10:22–11:14 a.m.

OTHERS PRESENT

  • Secretaries Herter and Dillon
  • General Goodpaster

The President said the Vice President had just suggested to him that the State Department give consideration to making some kind of a general announcement regarding the penetration of Communism in Latin America, bringing out particularly specific actions of Moscow—for example, extension of aid and particularly any shipment of arms. Mr. Herter said the situation in Cuba is becoming critically bad. The President commented that it would seem we should link Trujillo and Castro up and direct our actions against both of them. Mr. Dillon said the situation regarding the oil companies in Cuba is expected to come [Page 969] to an explosive condition this week. The refineries will run out of non-Soviet crude oil, and will refuse to accept Soviet crude oil. At that time they expect the Cuban government to seize the refineries.

[Here followed discussion of matters unrelated to Cuba.]

  1. Source: Eisenhower Library, DDE Diaries. Secret. Prepared by Goodpaster on July 5. The time of the meeting is taken from the President’s Appointment Book. (ibid., President’s Daily Appointments)↩