24. Editorial Note
At an interagency meeting on Cuba, February 7, 1961, Adolph Berle, Chief of the Department of Stateʼs Latin American Task Force, “indicated that he had given considerable thought to the establishment of a naval blockade of Cuba as a weapon against the Castro regime.” The Department of Defense representative, Haydn Williams, reported that “a blockade of Cuba was physically feasible” and “to be effective, would require the stopping, boarding and searching of all vessels destined to Cuba, regardless of flag.” Williams commented further that he thought “the Soviet Government would consider such treatment of its vessels as an act of war.” For text of the memorandum reporting on the meeting, see Foreign Relations, 1961–1963, volume X, pages 81–88.