Foreign Relations of the United States, 1961–1963, Volume XI, Cuban Missile Crisis and Aftermath

298. Memorandum From Gordon Chase of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy)⁰

Washington, March 23, 1963.

SUBJECT

• Cuba

Here are some of the latest developments regarding Cuba.

1. Donovan’s meeting with Castro: As you probably know, Castro released only two female prisoners. A memorandum is attached as Tab 1 which gives some of the highlights of the Donovan/Castro meeting.¹ Donovan hopes to go down to Havana again in about a week to pick up the nine skindivers (the Cubans indicated they would be released at that time).

Also attached as Tab 1 is Carl Kaysen’s memo to the President on press conference day. It is in response to the President’s interest in knowing whether or not Castro’s present reluctance to release the prisoners reflects a change in his December commitment to release them.

2. Russian Withdrawal from Cuba: Although State, in its press briefing book, recommended that the numbers game be avoided, the President announced at his press conference on March 21, 1963 that three thousand Russian troops had been withdrawn from Cuba. Attached as Tab 2 is the pertinent excerpt from the President’s press conference.²

3. Activist Refugee Groups: On the nights of March 17-18 the Second Front of the Escambray, with the probable assistance of Alpha 66, made a raid on the port of Isabella de Sagua. Attached as Tab 3 is a memorandum describing the action,1 a brief statement giving our attitude toward such raids, and the President’s comments on March 21.³

The incident highlighted a jurisdictional problem between the CIA and the FBI—i.e. who is responsible for knowing about the activities of these groups. The answer is probably that both have an interest in the activities of these groups which seem to operate both from within and without the United States. We have been in touch with State, CIA and FBI and have urged them to get together on this question (Carl’s memorandum on this subject is also attached as Tab 3).⁴ They will also get together regarding what, if anything, we want to do or can do to stop the raids.

4. Exchange with USSR on Cuba: Attached as Tab 4 is the latest on Cuba from Moscow. In Khrushchev’s absence, Ambassador Kohler talked to Kuznetsov. The background cables are also included in Tab 4.⁵

5. The Flow of Cuban Refugees: HEW’s John Thomas told me about the recent unofficial (no-funds, no-staff) hearings held in Miami by representatives Pepper and Fascell on the depressing impact of the Cuban refugees on the Miami area. The hearings tended to exaggerate the problem and to cover up for indigenous problems in the Miami area—e.g. the bad year for the citrus fruit industry and a decline in the tourist industry. Mr. Thomas felt that while Fascell has a real interest in the Miami situation and is probably aiming to get federal works projects, etc., Represent-ative Pepper used the hearings primarily as a political device to further his own career. Mr. Thomas will send us a copy of the hearings as and when they are published.

While Mr. Thomas does not regard the Miami situation as explosive, he is not at all happy about it. Fifty-six thousand refugees have been resettled but over one hundred thousand still remain. It is necessary to increase the net outflow of refugees from the area. Just as important, it is necessary to show the Miami public that there is a substantial outflow.

Mr. Thomas noted that the problem is to make a dent in the settled refugee population. While these people are more difficult to resettle than newly-arrived refugees, Mr. Thomas hopes, within a month, to increase the rate from four hundred to eight hundred per week. (The rate of flow into Miami is now about fifty per week.) He has a number of devices for effecting the increase. Among other things, in about a week, he hopes to surface an organizational mechanism whereby Protestant resettlement facilities will be used to assist in resettling Catholic refugees. This will help a lot.

6. Subversion: The Krulak Subcommittee is now working on a paper to control the movement of Cuban funds in Latin America. Also, the Subcommittee is focusing on preparations for a meeting in Managua with Central American governments. The meeting, which was called for at Costa Rica, will be held on April 3 and 4. The pertinent portion of the Costa Rica declaration which lays the groundwork for the Managua meeting is attached as Tab 5.⁶

7. Americans Traveling to Cuba: Attached as Tab 6 is an excerpt from the President’s March 21 press conference regarding the travel of Americans to Cuba. The Justice Department is now working on this one.

GC

0. Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Countries Series, Cuba, General, 3/63. Top Secret; Eyes Only.
1. Not found.
2. For text of the President’s March 21 press conference, see Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States:John F. Kennedy, 1963, pp. 273-282.
3. See footnote 1, Document 297.
4. Apparent reference to Document 297.
5. See Documents 293 and 294.
6. For text of the Declaration issued at Costa Rica by the Presidents of the Republics of Central America, Panama, and the United States, March 19, see American Foreign Policy: Current Documents, 1963, pp. 234-238.