SUBJECT

Washington, June 5, 1958.

Cuban Elections

In connection with Embassy Habana's telegram 810 of June 3 [2] in which it is stated that UN and OAS observers will be invited to witness elections and Batista will retire from office in February 1959, there is still in my opinion one important point which has not been covered: will Batista leave Cuba rather than stay and remain the power behind the scenes.

I refer to my memo of April 24 (attached).[3] I still believe that we should appeal to Batista on the basis of patriotism and along the lines of paragraph 2 of my memo. I feel this is even a more likely approach now that there is apparently less danger from Castro than heretofore.

In a recent conversation which Bill Wieland, Terry Leonhardy and I had with Joaquin Meyer,[4] the latter expressed the opinion that one of the hardest things would be to get Batista actually to leave. Nevertheless, I still do not believe that anyone is going to really feel that there are chances for honest elections in Cuba unless Batista gives sufficient assurances to remove himself from the scene. As long as he remains in Cuba (this is presuming that his man can win an election), the Batista onus will be there. I think if Batista could be persuaded to announce that he intends to take a trip to Europe for six months after February 1959 with his family to "take a rest from his arduous duties," etc., there would be a very salutary effect on the current Cuban situation. [5]
 
 

NOTES:

1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 737.00-558. Confidential. Drafted and initialed by Hoyt. Also addressed to Wieland and Snow.

2. Document 59.

3. Document 53.

4. The date of this conversation has not been determined.

5. Wieland wrote in the margin at this point: "I agree on the desirability but doubt it's possible now."