646. Memorandum of telephone conversation between Ball and Greenfield, April 31

[Facsimile Page 1]

Ball—There is a telegram—La Paz 947—quoting a La Paz press carrying an AFP story dateline Madrid about a conversation between Donovan and Castro. Have you seen it?

Greenfield—No, I’ll take a look at it right away.

Ball—You might want to show it to the President as he goes in. It is quoting Cubans “regarding conversation between Donovan and Castro which would lead to coexistence between Castro and US under condition Castro cuts ties with Russia and grants amnesty for 55,000 political prisoners, restores certain expropriated American property . . . . and carries out general elections. Castro allegedly agreed to all but last point. Bolivian Minister Government told Embassy that story places him . . . and other Latin American countries in awkward position while they are trying to take anti-Castrista actions in their own countries to extend domestic connections and permit US . . . negotiate with Castro under conditions which do not even mention Castrista subversive efforts in Latin America. Minister Government said he hoped US would deny substance . . . . story and urge USIA take necessary action soonest.” The best way to knock it down is to plant a question.

Greenfield—Yes, but I don’t know if we can or not, but I can see what we can do though.

Ball—I think you had better alert the White House on this one.

Greenfield—I will.

[Typeset Page 1665]

Ball—Because in the first place—and you had better check it out with Martin—I have a feeling that Donovan is perfectly capable of having talked this way.

Greenfield—Yes, and he is uncontrollable.

Ball—He’s uncontrollable, but I think we’re going to have to cut him down to size on this thing.

[Facsimile Page 2]

Greenfield—I agree. The Miami people have now checked—you know the 16 people who were picked up in the Bahamas (16 Cubans)—on all of them. Eleven of them came from the Miami area, and five from the New York area for this raid, which I think is pretty interesting. I called that over to the White House too.

Ball—OK.

Greenfield—I’ll get on this right away.

  1. Report out of La Paz on a conversation between Donovan and Castro, which would lead to coexistence between Castro and the United States if Castro met certain conditions. No classification marking. 2 pp. Kennedy Library, Ball Papers, Telephone Conversations, Cuba.