512. Telegram 1710 from USUN, November 91
Eyes Only for Secretary—Dept pass White House. REF: 1709. Subject Cuba.
In accordance telecon McCloy/Gilpatric 6 p.m. McCloy immediately called Kuznetsov to advise that, while we had been unable obtain complete report re SOV allegations impropriety in procedures used checking some outgoing missile bearing ships, orders outlining agreed procedures had been reconfirmed include no stopping of SOV ships and no opening of hatches.
McCloy advised Kuznetsov that interpreter available on USNS Perry was not well qualified in Russian and that any misunderstanding re opening of hatches probably resulted from poor translation.
McCloy advised Kuznetsov that when complete report of incident was received, it would be provided.
McCloy then pointed out that, since some of SOV ships carried different number of missiles than we had been advised, they should be liberal with us as to what ships we observed. McCloy said that one ship, the Labinsk, was to have carried two missiles and had none and another had one more missile than number furnished us by SOVS. McCloy stated further that we had observed 38 of 42 missiles SOVS had reported.
- Report of follow-on conversation between McCloy and Kuznetsov based on telephone conversation between McCloy and Gilpatric re Kuznetsov allegations that U.S. vessels improperly searched Soviet ships. Confidential. 1 p. USUN Files: NYFRC 84–84–001, Outgoing Telegrams, 1953–1963.↩