837.00/4023: Telegram
The Ambassador in Cuba (Welles) to the Secretary of State
[Received September 26—12:22 a.m.]
308. The negotiations between the leaders of the national political parties and the representatives of the Grau San Martín regime have definitely broken down. At a meeting this morning of all political leaders it was decided that they would act jointly in all negotiations and that they would under no conditions accept Grau San Martín as President on the ground that the public had no confidence in him, that he had already proved thoroughly unfitted for his task and because he was merely the puppet of the Student Council. They agreed to accept any other formula of solution that the Government and Batista might propose, including the suggestion by the Student Council of the designation of Grau San Martín’s substitute in the Presidency, provided that a national concentration Cabinet was formed. I was advised that during the debate the students admitted quite cynically that the attacks which they had directed against the United States and against the Embassy had been made solely for the purpose of creating popularity for the government and with full realization that there was neither truth nor motive for the charges alleged.
The opposition leaders have determined to hold no further conversations with the students or with Grau San Martín and have designated Antonio Mendoza and Dr. Granados of the Rotary Club as intermediaries should the government delegates desire to treat further with them.