837.00/4112: Telegram
The Ambassador in Cuba (Welles) to the Secretary of State
[Received 10:40 p.m.]
331. The meeting of the Diplomatic Corps, referred to in my telephone conversation with the Secretary, took place at 4 o’clock. There were present, besides the Spanish Ambassador, the Dean of the Corps, and myself, the Ministers of Chile and Paraguay and the Chargés [Page 466] d’Affaires of Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Colombia and Venezuela, together with the French Minister. The other members of the Corps either could not be reached by telephone or else like the Ministers of Great Britain and Germany were afraid to leave their Legations on account of the shooting that was going on in their vicinity.
At the meeting of the Corps it was unanimously agreed to authorize the Spanish Ambassador as Dean to obtain an immediate interview with Dr. Grau San Martín in behalf of the entire Corps and request for the sake of humanity an immediate truce between the officers and the soldiers, to continue until some peaceful agreement might be reached between the two contending forces.
It is as yet impossible to locate the whereabouts of Dr. Grau San Martín but if he can be found the Spanish Ambassador will make the representations indicated.
At noon today Batista offered the following terms to the officers: That they were to leave the hotel disarmed in groups of five at intervals of 10 minutes; that they would be taken into custody but that their lives would be guaranteed and their persons would be treated with complete respect. At 3:30, the time limit set by Batista for the acceptance of these conditions, the officers were as yet unwilling to accede and firing consequently commenced.
At a quarter before 5, after heavy firing, the officers surrendered to the soldiers. The soldiers immediately entered the hotel and lined the officers up by twos outside of the hotel grounds. A very large crowd had collected and radical agitators in the crowd endeavored to incite the mob to seize the officers and kill them. In order to prevent the mob from getting closer the soldiers first fired in the air and later on the mob and dispersed it. I understand that the officers are now being taken to Cabana Prison.
Captain Velasco of the General Staff has sent word that the city tonight will be patrolled by soldiers and that complete order will be preserved. During the day very considerable numbers of the lawless element have collected particularly in the Vedado and it will be difficult in my judgment to prevent a considerable amount of sacking and robbery.